Sarfaraz Khan and KL Rahul
Photo : Sarfaraz Khan/KL Rahul - X
After India's 8-wicket loss on the hands of New Zealand in the 1st Test of the 3-match series, questions are asked on the Rohit Sharma-led side's batting after the shocking batting collapse in the 1st innings, which proved to be the deciding factor of the match. The hosts were bundled out for just 46 runs with five batters taking the long walk back to the pavilion for a duck.
It doesn't end here, in the second innings, when India were well set for a big score, the middle-order batters faltered and as result, the side went from 408/4 to getting all-out for 462, setting a 107-run target.
The batter, who grabbed all the headlines was Sarfaraz Khan, who's gutsy knock of 150(195) set the tone for a comeback but apart from Rishabh Pant's 99, no significant contributions came from the bat.
With Sarfaraz's superb form and Shubman Gill expected to comeback in the XI from the 2nd Test onwards, KL Rahul, who is not in the best of forms could be benched. But former India cricketer, Parthiv Patel feels that the way the management has shown faith on the LSG captain, he would still get the nod.
"The question will be whether Sarfaraz Khan will get to play or they will go with KL Rahul. I will still play KL Rahul, the way the team has shown faith in him. I am thinking like that based on how the team's thinking has been," Patel told on Colors Cineplex.
The ex India wicket-keeper feels that if Rahul's place was not secure, then he would've been sent to bat at the no. 3 slot.
"If you wanted, you could have made Rahul bat at No. 3 in this Test match but you said that you didn't want to change his position. Nothing to take from Sarfaraz's knock, he made 150 runs for sure, but it's the same situation as Mohammed Siraj or Akash Deep. There will definitely be pressure on KL Rahul but I would still play him," he further added.
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