Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar has slammed the team management and selectors for their persistence backing of KL Rahul despite low returns. Rahul returned with scores of 0 and 12 in the opening Test against New Zealand and he was dropped in the next two Test matches.
Furthermore, Rahul returned with scores of 4 and 10 in the second unofficial Test match against Australia A, which the home team won by six wickets.
Rahul has scored 2981 runs in 53 Test matches at a below-par average of 33.88.
“So that is the time when you go back and do the right thing. And play players who deserve to get a chance. KL Rahul. You know, I don’t know, there’s some fascination that the team management, selectors have for him that they just want him part of the playing 11, whether it’s at the top or down the order,” Sanjay Manjrekar said on ESPN Cricinfo.
Manjrekar feels opener Abhimanyu Easwaran might not have impressed the selectors much but wants the management to keep things simpler when it comes to selection. Easwaran registered scores of 0 and 17 in the second unofficial Test against Australia A.
“Maybe Abhimanyu Easwaran hasn’t convinced them as much. But it’s not for us to play God and decide that maybe Abhimanyu Easwaran won’t get run in the Test match. We’ve had many examples in the past where players have surprised you by the performances. Sometimes you yourself are surprised by your own sort of performance as to the height that you reach. So keep it simple and make the right choice,” Manjrekar added.
The cricket analyst added that India is in panic mode after their 0-3 series loss against New Zealand at home.
“Clearly, India is in panic mode. They are a bit shaken by what happened against New Zealand at home. And that’s when plans start to go awry. And that is where I believe that one has to actually look at it in a different way, where you think there’s nothing to lose here,” said Manjrekar.
“I would actually say KL Rahul should consider himself very lucky to be getting opportunities. Such comebacks and opportunities, very few players over the years in the history of Indian cricket have been given this kind of a deal. He’s got 100 in Australia. So that is why he keeps coming back into plans. Now the average has dropped to 33 after 50 Test matches. I guess somewhere they hope that KL Rahul might find that form that he’s capable of,” he added.
The opening Test match between India and Australia will be played at Perth from November 22 onwards.
