3 reasons why KS Bharat should be dropped from India's XI for the 3rd Test vs England
India recorded a memorable 106-run win over England in the second Test of the five-match series in Visakhapatnam, but it wasn't their most convincing display.
The hosts were largely carried by Jasprit Bumrah, Shubman Gill, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. While Bumrah picked up nine wickets to be adjudged the Player of the Match, Gill and Jaiswal made important batting contributions to make up for the lack of returns from the other Indian batters.
One such player was KS Bharat, who notched up scores of 17 and 6 in his hometown of Visakhapatnam. He also missed a stumping chance, meaning that his Test was disappointing both behind and in front of the wickets.
India are yet to name their squad for the remaining three Tests of the series. While Bharat has been backed by head coach Rahul Dravid and is unlikely to be discarded altogether, it would be fair to believe that he hasn't been able to justify his place in the side.
Here are three reasons why KS Bharat should be dropped from India's XI for the third Test against England.
#3 India should be able to find better options from the bench
India had initially announced three keepers in their squad for the first two Tests - KS Bharat, KL Rahul, and Dhruv Jurel. Dravid later announced that Rahul would be a frontline batter, and the recurrence of his quadriceps injury means that he's unlikely to don the gloves in the red-ball format.
Nevertheless, India still have better options than Bharat. Jurel has an impressive first-class record, and if the side want to groom a backup for Rishabh Pant, they should work towards developing the youngster.
Another name in the mix is Ishan Kishan, who is currently on a break. The southpaw is reasonably tidy behind the stumps and has attacking gears that could serve India well in spin-friendly conditions.
It remains to be seen if Kishan is called up to the squad for the last three Tests. Even if he isn't, though, Jurel is more than capable of stepping in for Bharat and might even be a better option.
#2 Bharat's glovework hasn't justified him being picked on that alone
Wriddhiman Saha was India's frontline wicketkeeper in Tests until Pant established his place in the side, and the primary reason for that was his impeccable glovework.
It's arguable that keepers' primary skill in modern-day Test cricket has become batting, but if someone is leagues apart with the gloves, they have tons of value to add to the side. Bharat's batting returns have been underwhelming, and sadly, he hasn't been able to stand out with the gloves enough to warrant being picked for that alone.
Bharat missed a stumping in the second Test against England. Ever since making his Test debut, while he has put in a couple of impressive displays, he hasn't been as reliable as India would want. His work with the DRS has also been sub-par.
Had Bharat been a Saha-like keeper, he could still be backed. But he isn't, meaning that he needs to be evaluated on predominantly his batting exploits.
#1 KS Bharat has been given enough chances to make an impact with the bat
Bharat has played seven Tests for India, and while that might not seem like much, he has gotten to bat many times in favorable conditions. Six of these matches have come at home, where he is expected to produce at least a few notable innings.
Unfortunately, though, Bharat is yet to record even a half-century in the format. He has tallied only 221 runs at an average of 20.09 and a strike rate of 52.99, with India suffering a serious downgrade from what Pant used to provide.
The manner of Bharat's dismissals have been hugely disappointing, too. He got out to rank long hops in both innings of the second Test, and while he did put up a fight in the series opener, he hasn't displayed the necessary temperament and technique needed for international cricket.