Kanpur: As the Indian team prepares for the second Test against Bangladesh at Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, all eyes are on KL Rahul, who has struggled to find his footing in red-ball cricket after a prolonged injury spell. With an average hovering around 35 and a series of unremarkable performances, Rahul’s recent form has raised questions about his place in the side.
However, Indian batting coach Abhishek Nayar remains optimistic about the experienced batter’s return to form. Nayar, speaking ahead of the crucial second Test, acknowledged Rahul’s recent challenges but emphasised the importance of supporting players through tough periods.
“We all know the kind of player Rahul is,” Nayar said in the pre-match press conference on Thursday. “He has the experience and the talent, but every cricketer goes through phases where things don’t click. It’s during these times that our role as a coaching team becomes vital - to help him grow, to find that spark again.”
In his only Duleep Trophy innings, Rahul scored a plodding 37 runs off 111 deliveries in the opening session. He came under fire for his lack of decisiveness at key junctures and his unwillingness to use attacking strokes. There were raised eyebrows at this hesitation to keep the scoreboard ticking. His second innings 57 off 121 balls was a partial redemption, as his main responsibility was to hold the wicket amid a batting collapse; it would have been disastrous to lose his wicket trying to attack during a challenging 276-run chase.
“When you are playing for India, inspiration is not something you need. Sometimes it is just direction and I feel KL is having spent a little time with him in the last few days. He is someone who understands his game very well. Yes, there are times where a player sort of is 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 Gautam (Gambhir) has had and I have had a (discussion) with him that hopefully we can have a turnaround in KL as well. 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. But the way he was batting in the second innings is the kind of cricket we are expecting and hoping for him. And I am pretty sure going forward you will see the expectations and the performances that you have from him,” he added. IANS
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