BAN vs IND: “He needs to turn up as a batsman pretty soon” – Wasim Jaffer on KL Rahul

Former Indian batter Wasim Jaffer feels that vice-captain KL Rahul should perform in the upcoming Test after he failed to deliver in the Chattogram Test against Bangladesh. He believes the opener is doubtful to secure a spot in the Dhaka Test after returning with knocks of 22 and 23 in the two innings.

It is evident that regular captain Rohit Sharma has recovered from a thumb injury and could feature in the second Test.

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, Jaffer said:

“As a batsman, he needs to do a lot of things right. The way he’s batting, he needs to step up his game a little bit. Lately, it’s not the old KL Rahul we’ve seen. He needs to turn up as a batsman pretty soon.”

He continued:

“On the form, it does look like KL is the only one, but I feel that if India is going with five bowlers, then the unfortunate guy would be KL Rahul or they could go with four bowlers. It’s interesting to see who gets dropped in the last Test.”

It’s worth mentioning that backup opener Shubman Gill (110) registered his maiden Test ton in the first Test against Bangladesh. Thus, Rahul will face stiff competition to find a place in the playing XI for the forthcoming Test, which starts on Thursday, December 22.

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“Unfair on Kuldeep if he gets dropped after this performance” – Wasim Jaffer explains how to accommodate KL Rahul in Dhaka Test

With India captain Rohit Sharma likely to return for second Test, Jaffer reckons India might drop a bowler to accommodate KL Rahul in the playing XI.

He wants Kuldeep Yadav to retain his place among the two spinners in that scenario. He also believes that the visitors should continue with two pacers in their lineup against Bangladesh.

Jaffer said:

“You might drop Kuldeep if four bowlers play. It’s going to be unfair on Kuldeep if he gets dropped after this performance. India needs to go with five bowlers. Two fast bowlers are important to play because sometimes it goes up and down a little bit and needs two bowlers to exploit that pace.”

For the uninitiated, Yadav took a five-wicket haul and three wickets in the two innings of the first Test against Bangladesh. He also scored a vital 40 runs in the first innings.

His all-around performance helped him earn the Player of the Match award. This came after he made his Test comeback after a 22-month gap.