Anil Kumble gives update on KL Rahul's injury concerns
What’s the story?
After a disastrous day in the field, Indian coach Anil Kumble gave the fans something to cheer about as he confirmed that KL Rahul, who looked to have hurt his shoulder while batting, is fine and should be good to open the second innings along with Murali Vijay.
Speaking about KL Rahul after day two of the first Test, the Indian coach admitted that the opener was in some discomfort. Kumble said: "He hurt his shoulder a little bit. "It came off a little bit while he was batting. So we had to take some care there, this is more a precaution. He seems okay now. He was back in the field for the last couple of overs. He should be okay for tomorrow. We will have to see how he responds. Usually, this kind of injury take 24 hours before it resurfaces. So we are hoping he will be fine tomorrow morning.”
A sign of the seriousness of the injury was evident in the way, Kumble even joked “I think the shot created the injury, not just to him but even to the team”.
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In case you didn’t know...
KL Rahul's dismissal sparked India’s worst-ever collapse in Test history as they went from 94/3 to 105 all out courtesy of Steve O’Keefe’s career-best Test figures. Following their collapse with the bat, they dropped quite a few simple chances in the field to let Australia end day two as firm favorites to end India’s 19-game Test unbeaten run.
Details
India haven't had a great track record especially when it to comes to the fitness of their openers in Tests. Over the course of the home season, Murali Vijay, Parthiv Patel, Gautam Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul have all opened for India.
While India’s batting form has largely been exemplary, they haven't always managed to have both openers firing at the same time. KL Rahul, who scored a 199 in the final Test of the England series hasn’t been consistent but despite that, the fact that he will be fit to open in the second innings will come as a welcome relief to the Indian camp.
Rahul was replaced by backup opener Abhinav Mukund on the field and the Tamil Nadu batsman dropped two catches before Rahul came back to take his place.
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What’s next?
Australia already have a massive lead in the context of the game and with still six wickets in hand, including that of the captain and the No.1 ranked Test batsman in Steve Smith. India will look to take quick wickets and dismiss the visitors cheaply on day three of the first Test at Pune.
Sportskeeda’s Take
After stitching together a crucial partnership along with Ajinkya Rahane, the manner in which Rahul was dismissed wouldn't have pleased Anil Kumble. But the fact that he can open in the second innings should come as a welcome relief as India look to achieve the improbable from a position of weakness after day two at Pune.