The Indian cricket team has had troubles with their wicketkeepers since Rishabh Pant got hurt. The problem has gotten bigger because KS Bharat isn’t playing well with the bat. Right now, Ishan Kishan is not part of the plan.
India’s next alternative is Dhruv Jurel, who hasn’t yet played an official game. Specific reports suggest that team management’s patience with KS Bharat may be wearing thin. There’s talk of possibly bringing Jurel on for the third Test in Rajkot, set for February 15.
“Bharat’s batting has been well below-par, while his ‘keeping hasn’t been great either. He isn’t making use of his chances. Jurel, on the other hand, is talented, has a good attitude and has a bright future. He has done well for Uttar Pradesh, India A and the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. Don’t be surprised if Jurel makes his Test debut at Rajkot,” a source told TOI.
KS Bharat is on thin ice, but with so many changes looming for the Indian team due to injury, one wonders if it is prudent to throw yet another unknown component into the mix for what is undoubtedly a must-win game.
On that line, let’s look at three reasons why India should not drop KS Bharat for the third Test against England.
1. His glovework remains immaculate
So far, KS Bharat has performed admirably in his major job within the squad, which is to keep wickets. It is no easy task to don the gloves in the treacherous subcontinent circumstances, but Bharat has been at comfortable in his job and has also been consistent in his contributions to DRS calls.
The question is whether he compensates for his lack of runs with his skills behind the wickets, and there is clearly a case for that.
His challenger, Dhruv Jurel, has only kept wickets in red-ball cricket for the past two years, including 15 first-class matches. Although he has kept on subcontinent pitches, his experience is unrivaled when compared to Bharat, a home circuit veteran with 96 first-class matches under his belt.
2. England are also following the same formula
England wicketkeeper Ben Foakes has scored 12 less runs than KS Bharat in the series, but he is still the unquestioned gloveman. Even though England has an intriguing possibility in Jonny Bairstow, they have chosen to stick with their’specialist’ keeper.
Although there is a gap between England and India’s batting units in terms of current form and experience, the hosts have enough armament to play the better keeper rather than the better hitter among Bharat and Jurel.
Indeed, there’s an impact on India’s batting lineup. Yet, the fresh team members are in known settings and should meet or even surpass England’s batting strength, despite being less seasoned. Indian batting also boasts depth, with both Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel showing solid batting skills.
If Ravindra Jadeja re-enters the team, it could give both batting and bowling a lift, and also boost KS Bharat’s position. If he appears in the third Test, big expectations will follow him. However, another batting flop may end his run.
3. Rajkot is an ideal avenue to be back among the runs
Both Test fields are not super twisting, but they’re also not packed with easy hit zones. With the third Test’s field remaining a mystery, Rajkot has traditionally held one of India’s top spots for batters.
This trend coincides well with Indian players like Bharat, chasing more runs. Although England might find these easier conditions to their liking, teams don’t govern these circumstances. We will know what the real impact will be in time.
KS Bharat was not far behind in Hyderabad during the first Test, when he scored two solid runs, one of which was one of his best in international cricket. A more proactive batting approach may assist both him and the team’s cause, and a strong batting surface is ideal for implementing such a style of play.