Cricket

“Are we getting impatient? Not at this stage” – Vikram Rathour continues to support Pujara, Rahane

 

India’s batting coach Vikram Rathour has put his weight behind under-firing Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. Both of these veteran batters have not been at their best in the recent past and their place in the Test team has been questionable. Ajinkya Rahane looked in good touch in the first innings of the opening Test match against South Africa as he scored 48 runs at SuperSport, Centurion.

However, he could only score a little cameo of 20 runs off 23 balls in the second essay as he played a half-heart hook shot. On the other hand, Pujara was dismissed for a golden duck in the first dig while he could only score 16 runs in the second innings despite getting a reprieve when he was on four.

Since January 2019, Pujara has amassed 1356 runs in 26 Test matches at a paltry average of 31.53, including his last Test hundred of 193 runs which came against Australia at Sydney.

Rathour added that both of these batters are working hard on their game and they have shown decent form in the practice sessions but they haven’t been able to come up with consistent performances.

Speaking at a press conference at the end of the fourth day’s play, Rathour asserted: “As far as Pujara and Rahane are concerned, they are trying their best, they are giving their best. Rahane was in really good touch but unfortunately, he got out, so has Pujara.”

“Pujara in past has played some important innings for us, you see these are challenging conditions, not many people have scored runs here. We need to be patient as long as they are trying their best, giving their best as coaching unit we are fine. Are we getting impatient? Not at this stage, I think.”

In fact, Pujara and Rahane haven’t been at their best in the last two years and a lot of cricket boffins reckon that it is time to give opportunities to players like Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari, who are waiting in the wings.

Meanwhile, India is in a dominating position in the first Test match as they need another six wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the series. On the other hand, South Africa needs another 211 runs to win the opening Test but rain is forecasted on the final day’s play.

 

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

“Never expected a very easy run” – Gautam Gambhir reflects on his tenure as coach after IND vs NZ 2024 Test series defeat

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has admitted that he never expected a very easy run… Read More

October 31, 2024

Probably has a lot to do with playing on flat wickets in T20 – Gautam Gambhir on decline of good defensive technique in Test cricket

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir feels T20 cricket has led to the downfall of a… Read More

October 31, 2024

India needs Mumbai Test win before Australia tour – Gautam Gambhir

Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir feels the Rohit Sharma-led team desperately needs to win the… Read More

October 31, 2024

I cannot say just the batters have let us down – Gautam Gambhir feels everyone should take responsibility for series loss against New Zealand

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir refused to blame the batters after the team’s 2-0 series… Read More

October 31, 2024

It was insane – Bronny James after scoring his first NBA bucket

Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James was on cloud nine after he managed to score… Read More

October 31, 2024

I’m happy with my team’s performance: Mohun Bagan SG head coach Jose Molina after win against Hyderabad FC

Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Jose Molina was delighted with the team’s performance after… Read More

October 31, 2024