KL Rahul is getting ready to play as India’s chosen wicketkeeper in their two-test series in South Africa. Rahul has only ever been in one first-class match in that role. The first game is set to take place on Tuesday, December 26 at Centurion’s SuperSport Park Cricket Stadium. India’s head coach, Rahul Dravid, spoke about the potential and difficulties KL Rahul would face in his new position before the first Test match. Dravid emphasized the 31-year-old’s self-assurance and excitement to take the field during this crucial Test series.
“I think he has a great chance to try something new and has an interesting task ahead of him. Since Ishan Kishan was unavailable, the chance presented itself. There are a few keepers that we may select from.
KL Rahul is undoubtedly one. We’ve talked about this with him; we’ve had this conversation.
You know, he is eager to do anything and exudes confidence. We are aware that he hasn’t likely done it as frequently. In 50 overs of cricket, he has been doing it consistently. To play 50 overs and then bat for the remainder of the day is undoubtedly difficult. That may drain a lot of your body,” ESPNcricinfo cited Rahul Dravid as saying.
Rahul’s excellent showing behind the stumps, even in white-ball cricket, according to the former cricket player, bodes well for his transition to Test cricket. Notably, Rahul now gets a new opportunity because of the absence of the injured Rishabh Pant. It’s remarkable that India has faith in its wicketkeeper to contribute significantly at bat.
I must admit that he has done a good job of preparing over the past five or six months. Despite playing in the white-ball style, he has accumulated a lot of experience. However, he will also be taking on a fresh and thrilling task with this. One of the things, I suppose, is that, if anything, there won’t be a lot more spin bowling. It will ease him into that job, if anything, given there is probably more pace bowling here than spin,” he continued.
Although we’ll have to wait and see how things work out, having someone like him and the possibilities he offers is extremely good. The mere possession of his bat skills would be extremely beneficial. Watch how he does wearing the gloves as well. He’s kept up very well in one-day cricket, actually. It’s only a matter of turning it into red-ball cricket going forward, the 50-year-old continued.
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