NEW DELHI: Team India’s preparations appear to be on course ahead of the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy, set to begin on November 22. In the challenging tour Down Under, India will aim for a historic hat-trick of series wins.
After sweeping Bangladesh, the focus shifts to replicating that success against the visiting New Zealand team, with one key objective: resolving the middle-order puzzle.
The omission of Sarfaraz Khan from the playing XI against Bangladesh sparked considerable debate, especially after his impressive debut series against England, where he scored three fifties. Despite this, Sarfaraz has had to bide his time for another opportunity.
In his place, India picked KL Rahul for the two Tests against Bangladesh.
The stylish right-hander, who has 52 Tests under his belt, scoring 2969 runs at an average of 34.52, managed 16 and an unbeaten 22 in the first Test in Chennai before smashing a fluent 68 in the second Test in Kanpur.
With the series opener against New Zealand scheduled at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday (October 16), the key question resurfaces: Will India continue to back KL Rahul over Sarfaraz for the opening Test?
‘HAPPY HUNTING GROUND’
Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, KL Rahul’s home ground, could very well tilt the selection in his favour.
The venue has been a happy hunting ground for Rahul, where he has played two Tests, scoring 195 runs at an impressive average of 65.00. His standout performances include scores of 90 and 51 against Australia in 2017, earning him the Player of the Match accolade.
In his second Test at the venue, he contributed 54 runs in a one-off Test against Afghanistan in 2018, helping India secure a massive innings victory.
Heading into the opening Test against New Zealand, the spotlight will again be on KL Rahul. India will hope that he delivers with the bat and has a solid run in the three-match series to bolster his case for the all-important Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
‘EXPERIENCED HAND’
India will look to tick all the boxes before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The top order is settled, with captain Rohit Sharma set to open alongside the in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal. Shubman Gill will take the No. 3 spot, followed by Virat Kohli at No. 4, and the dynamic wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant coming in at No. 5.
The No. 6 position, however, remains undecided, with KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan vying for the spot.
Given the importance of experience in Australian conditions, KL Rahul will be eager to score runs against New Zealand and cement his place.
Rahul has previously featured in two Border-Gavaskar series — the 2014-15 and 2018-19 editions.
In 2014-15, he played two Tests, scoring 130 runs at an average of 32.50, including a century in Sydney. However, his 2018-19 tour was less fruitful, as he managed only 57 runs in three Tests, averaging 11.40.
With his prior experience of playing in Australia, a strong performance against New Zealand could see KL Rahul emerge as India’s preferred choice for the middle-order role in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
