NEW DELHI: There were several things that went wrong for Team India in the opening Test of the three-match series against New Zealand. First, captain Rohit Sharma misjudged the Bengaluru pitch, resulting in India being bowled out for just 46 – their lowest total on home soil. Second, the Indian bowlers struggled as the New Zealand batsmen dominated, building a huge lead of 356 runs. Lastly, apart from Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and young Sarfaraz Khan, India’s batting collapsed again in the second innings, losing seven wickets. for just 54 runs.
Now trailing 0-1 from the three-match series, India may reconsider their line-up as they head into the second Test, starting Thursday at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.
KL Rahul, whose form has come under scrutiny, especially after his disappointing scores of 0 and 12 in the first Test, may be at risk of losing his place. After defeat in the first Test, all-rounder Washington Sundar was added to the squad.
However, former India bowler Venkatpathy Raju believes Rohit should stick with the same eleven, including the “experienced” KL Rahul, despite his recent struggles.
“I don’t think we need to tinker with the starting XI. If I were the captain, I would have picked the same team. You need experienced players in your team. You can’t bench KL Rahul after just one Test match. He is an experienced batsman and should play the next Test. No need to panic, India is still at the top of the WTC standings. Rohit is a positive captain. He will come in with a positive approach did it,” Raju told TimesofIndia.com.
In his last five innings, KL Rahul has failed to make a significant impact, with just one fifty in India’s recent series against Bangladesh. Earlier this year, he scored a half-century against England and a century in South Africa, but his inconsistency raised doubts over his place in the squad. His performance in Bengaluru further added to the speculation surrounding his future in the Test team.
“India already have three spinners playing the Bengaluru Test. Washington will only be included if there is an injury. Based on one game, we don’t need to panic. Conditions in Bengaluru are different. No one knows how the field will behave. . It happens. The weather is not in our hands. We have been playing good cricket, and 46 players who were all out had to be left out. It is past, and the past must be buried. “We have to learn and stay focused when it comes to the next two Tests, and I am sure India will bounce back and win this series,” he said.
“India should think about the five Tests in Australia and not panic. Let’s play KL Rahul in the second Test and give him a chance. He will rise again. He has experience. India just needs to try hard. That’s all,” Raju added.
INDIA NEEDS FAST BOWLING
India have two experienced all-rounders, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, but Raju feels they also need a fast all-rounder in their set-up.
Raju expressed his surprise that Rohit chose to play with just two fast bowlers — Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj — in the Bengaluru Test.
“India is short of bowling all-rounders. Bowling fast all-rounders play a big role in the team. We have all-rounders like Ashwin, Jadeja and Washington, but not a single bowling all-rounder. I am surprised India picked only two fast bowlers for the Bengaluru Test,” Raju said.
“Hardik Pandya is there, but is he willing to play red-ball cricket? Is he ready for Tests? I don’t think he is. If he is available, it is a big plus for the team. The fast bowling all-rounder eases the captain’s burden. You getting extra fast bowlers and batsmen at the same time,” he added.
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