India head coach Gautam Gambhir has had a discussion with KL Rahul, and a big score from his bat is not far off, according to assistant coach Abhishek Nayar. Seen as the next captain of Team India in all formats, even three years ago, Rahul now has lost his place in the T20I squad and is under constant pressure to hold on to his place in the ODI and Test XIs. One of the major reasons behind this is his inconsistency. Despite having all the arsenal to turn into a modern-day great, Rahul has not established himself in the Test side. In 51 matches, he has scored 2901 runs, averaging 34.12.
He has some memorable knocks in Australia, England and South Africa, some of the most difficult places to get runs runs for a subcontinent batter but somehow, he hasn’t quite managed to drive home the momentum.
Even in the first Test against Bangladesh, Rahul was guilty of putting too much pressure on himself. Nayar said it is about giving direction.
“Sometimes it is just direction and I feel KL is someone who understands his game very well. In South Africa, he played tremendous knocks. We are very hopeful… the kind of conversation that Gautam has had and I have had with him that hopefully, we can have a turnaround in KL as well,” the former India all-rounder said.
Rahul and Gambhir have worked together at the Lucjnow Super Giants, where the former is still the captain and the latter was the mentor for two seasons. If the former India opener somehow frees Rahul, a different version of him could be unleashed.
“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. And I am pretty sure going forward, you will see the expectations and the performances that you have from him,” Nayar said.
Fitness aware players
The Indian team’s fielding is world class and an example of that was Yashasvi Jaiswal plucking a one-handed catch to dismiss Bangladesh opener Zakir Hasan off Jasprit Bumrah at gully in the second innings in Chennai.
Nayar said they are not doing anything special but a general awareness about fitness has changed the game.
“We haven’t introduced much. Overall, right from when Virat took over, the emphasis on fitness has directly resulted in better fielders. If you look at Indian cricket as a whole, or even IPL or domestic cricket, you will seegrowth in fielding.
“And I always believe that fielding is directly proportionate to your fitness. If you are fit enough, if you can move, if you are agile, you will be able to be in position.
“A lot of domestic cricketers and cricketers in general have emphasized on being fitter and I think that has directly resulted in a much fitter, faster and agile Indian team. “
The Indian team doesn’t have a designated vice-captain and
When asked if India expect Bangladeshi spinners to be more in the game compared to Chennai, Nayar added: “I’m not one for expectations. I’ve always believed expectation is the mother of all s***-ups. For me, it’s just about going there and seeing what happens on that particular day.
“When there is weather around, you’re always very careful. So you don’t want to go in expecting the ball’s going to turn too much or the ball’s going to sink. I just feel we like to take it as it comes,” he added.
