Mumbai: India’s young gun KL Rahul who recently recovered from an injury was included back in the Indian squad on Tuesday right ahead of the second test against England. The second test begins from 17th November at Visakhapatnam.
“The All India Senior Selection Committee has decided to add India batsman KL Rahul to the Indian squad ahead of the second Test of the Paytm Test Series – 2016 between India and England to be played at Vizag from November 17, 2016,” BCCI Secretary Ajay Shirke said in a statement.
Rahul has recovered from his right hamstring injury and will be joining the squad said BCCI on Tuesday.
Rahul is playing an ongoing domestic match as a mandatory protocol for Karnataka in which he has scored a 76 off 85 balls and a 106 of 132 balls against Rajasthan.
As earlier reported by sportscrunch, Gambhir position in the test side is uncertain as his performances in the past four innings have not been satisfactory. Scores of 0, 29, 50 and 29 from a batsman who is hailed by Virender Sehwag as the best Test opener for India since Sunil Gavaskar do not strengthen his case.
Rahul inclusion in the team certainly puts Gambhir’s inclusion into the playing XI into question. It is assumed that KL Rahul will replace veteran Gambhir as India’s opener alongside Murali Vijay.
Gambhir’s flaws in his open stance was clearly exploited by the English bowlers in the last test as Stuart Board got the best of him with an in-swinging delivery in the first innings and Chris Woakes got him for a duck in the second innings with a short ball.
Anil Kumble, coach of team India has amply suggested that opener KL Rahul will be making a comeback in the second test against England on Tuesday.
With veteran Gautam Gambhir being out of form and being unable to judge the swing and the bounce generated by the English bowlers in the first test and the quick call of KL Rahul who played two great knocks in two innings in a Ranji match clearly indicated Kumble’s intentions.
“I think there is still two days left. Rahul is certainly available for selection and you would want Rahul to be in starting line-up and that’s the reason he has been included,” Kumble said, indicating his preferred opener.
“He (Rahul) had an (hamstring) injury in Kanpur. He was not available for Test and ODIs against New Zealand. Now he has recovered and as a protocol, he played a Ranji Trophy game. Today he scored a hundred (106) and in the first innings he scored 70 plus (76 off 85 balls). Since match is happening close to Vizag (at Vizaianagaram), it’s good to have him in the squad and he is available for selection,” Kumble elaborated.