KL Rahul’s return to Test cricket after a near seven-month hiatus has been underwhelming. In the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai, he managed scores of 16 and an unbeaten 22, raising questions about his batting approach in the longer format. His form in the Duleep Trophy, where he scored a gritty 57 but struggled to capitalize in key moments, added to the concerns.
However, India’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar remains confident in Rahul’s ability to regain his mojo. “When you are playing for India, inspiration is not something you need. Sometimes it is just direction and having spent a little time with him over the last few days, I think he is someone who understands his game very well,” said Nayar, on the eve of the second Test.
Since his debut in 2014, Rahul has played 51 Test matches, scoring 2901 runs at an average of 34.12. Despite batting at four different positions, he has failed to establish dominance. His most significant contributions have come as an opener, where he scored 2551 runs at an average of 34.94, including seven centuries and 12 fifties. However, his average dips significantly when batting at other positions.
Nayar, who has worked with several Indian cricketers during challenging phases, believes that Rahul’s past performances, like his century against South Africa in Centurion, demonstrate his potential. “Yes, there are times where a player is sort of finding his feet. I feel in South Africa, he played tremendous knocks for India when he was there. So, we are very hopeful to the kind of combination that Gauti bhai (head coach Gautam Gambhir) has had and I have had with him that hopefully, we can have a turnaround in KL as well,” Nayar said.
He remains confident that Rahul will find his form. “These things sometimes take time. But I feel the way he is batting, even in the last game, I know we did not end up giving him much of a shot in the second innings, the way he was batting in the second innings is the kind of cricket we are expecting and hoping for from him. And I am pretty sure going forward you will see the expectations and the performances that you have from him,” he added.
With Rahul’s return and his struggles in recent matches, the second Test in Kanpur presents a crucial opportunity for him to regain his rhythm and prove his worth in the longer format.
