Mumbai ,oct 22
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar feels that batter KL Rahul should sit out if Shubman Gill is deemed fit to play the second Test against New Zealand at Pune starting from Thursday.Gill missed the first Test against the Kiwis at Bengaluru due to neck stiffness. Star batter Virat Kohli could not deliver runs at number three in the first innings and India lost the match by eight wickets in their first loss to the Kiwis on home soil since 1988.KL Rahul, who batted in the middle order, notched poor scores of 0 and 12 to continue his inconsistent run in Tests.Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Manjrekar said that the team should have KL sit out if Gill turns out to be fit for Pune Test. He also said that in case Gill is not fit, Virat should be called at number four since it would be unfair to keep playing him at a position where he has not scored many runs. He also called for KL to be shifted to number three if Gill does not play, in order to “free him up a bit”.”Yes. I think that could be the call the team management will take if Gill is not fit. It is a little unfair for somebody like Virat to keep batting at number three. Maybe because KL is looking so lost (in the middle-order), maybe push him to number three and just free up a little bit and let Virat play at number four,” said Manjrekar.
KL, meanwhile has had an inconsistent run in Tests since 2022, averaging just 25.70 in 12 Tests and 21 innings, in which he has made 514 runs. He has scored a century and three fifties, with best score of 101. He has not had much success as a number three in Tests, having made 88 in four Tests in five innings with a fifty.Majority of KL’s Test success has come as an opener. He made 2,551 runs in 49 Tests and 75 innings at an average of 34.94, with seven tons and 12 fifties and best score of 199.In the first Test, contributions from Rachin Ravindra, Matt Henry and William O’Rourke shined in New Zealand’s eight-wicket win over India at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswammy Stadium.
