KL Rahul, India’s experienced player, might come back for the third Test against England. On February 15, Rajkot’s Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium will host the game. The BCCI looks to reveal the Indian team for the final three Tests against England on February 8.
KL Rahul couldn’t play the second Test in Visakhapatnam due to a strained quad. Before that, he featured in the opening Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. He started strong with scoring 86 in the initial innings. Despite looking promising in the second innings, Joe Root got him out for 22 with lbw.
Virat Kohli-yet another member expected to miss the third Test-will surely be missed. This leaves India leaning on KL Rahul’s experienced shoulders. If the hitter is certified fit, he will most likely return to the playing XI. If declared fit for the Rajkot Test, he might replace the three players listed below.
1. Rajat Patidar
If KL Rahul gets selected for the Rajkot Test, Madhya Pradesh batsman Rajat Patidar would most likely be replaced. The seasoned domestic cricketer, who made his Test debut in Visakhapatnam, did not do poorly with the willow. Patidar made a useful 32 off 72 in the first innings, contributing 70 for the fourth wicket with double-centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Patidar was unfortunate to be removed by Rehan Ahmed after a leg-spinner delivery bounced a little extra and deceived back onto the stumps. In the second inning, he only managed nine. He was removed by Rehan again, caught behind as he bottom-edged one that stayed low, with Ben Faokes making a great grab.
One Test is insufficient to assess any player. As a result, dismissing Patidar after only one Test match would be unfair. However, if KL Rahul had been healthy for the second Test, the MP batsman would not have had this opportunity. As such, Rahul for Patidar appears to be an easy switch if the former is fit for the Rajkot assignment.
2. Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer is another player whose place may be called into question if KL Rahul returns in time for the third Test in Rajkot. The middle-order batsman has been severely underwhelming in the two Tests so far. He scored 35 and 13 in Hyderabad, and 27 and 29 in Visakhapatnam.
The 29-year-old has shown promise early on in most of his games. However, he’s been unable to turn these solid starts into bigger scores. There’s also concern around Shreyas not appearing to be at his best during play. It seems he’s finding his batting rhythm challenging.
His Test performance hasn’t been stellar. He hasn’t hit over fifty in a dozen attempts since the Mirpur Test versus Bangladesh in December 2022. In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, his top score of four tries was just 26, all happening in between February and March 2023.
In South Africa, the right-hander appeared absolutely lost, scoring only 31 in four innings. He has continued to struggle with his batting in the current home Test series against England. It will be fascinating to watch whether India retains Patidar and drops Shreyas if Rahul is available for the Rajkot Test.
3. Mukesh Kumar
This is a risky decision, but one that Team India’s management should consider. Mukesh Kumar might be dropped from the starting XI, leaving them with one fast bowler (Jasprit Bumrah or Mohammed Siraj) and three spinners for the Rajkot Test.
Kumar had a terrible Test performance in Visakhapatnam, taking only one wicket and being erratic. To be fair, it would be surprising if Team India went down this route of sacrificing a bowler for a batsman since it is laden with danger.
Srikar Bharat, the keeper-batter, has also struggled for runs. However, India is unlikely to ask Rahul to maintain wickets. Remember that both skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid stated prior of the series that KL Rahul is not considered a Test wicketkeeper.
If India decides to dismiss Bharat, he can be replaced by uncapped Dhruv Jurel. If fit, Rahul will most likely replace one of the middle-order hitters.
