"I will still play KL Rahul" - Parthiv Patel on choosing between Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan for IND vs NZ 2024 2nd Test
Parthiv Patel wants India to play KL Rahul ahead of Sarfaraz Khan in the second Test against New Zealand if Shubman Gill is back in the XI. He pointed out that he is going with the team's thinking as they seem to be showing a lot of faith in the Karnataka batter.
Rohit Sharma and company suffered an eight-wicket defeat against the Kiwis in the first Test in Bengaluru on Sunday, October 20. The second Test of the three-match series is scheduled to start in Pune on Thursday, October 24.
During a discussion on Colors Cineplex, Patel noted that Gill will likely be available for the second Test as he was seen having a net session after the game. He cast his vote for Rahul ahead of Sarfaraz in the potential choice between the duo for the second Test.
"The question will be whether Sarfaraz Khan will get to play or they will go with KL Rahul. I will still play KL Rahul, the way the team has shown faith in him. I am thinking like that based on how the team's thinking has been," he reasoned.
The former India wicketkeeper-batter added that Rahul would have been made to bat at No. 3 in the Bengaluru Test if his spot at No. 6 wasn't secure.
"If you wanted, you could have made Rahul bat at No. 3 in this Test match but you said that you didn't want to change his position. Nothing to take from Sarfaraz's knock, he made 150 runs for sure, but it's the same situation as Mohammed Siraj or Akash Deep. There will definitely be pressure on KL Rahul but I would still play him," Patel observed.
Rahul was dismissed for a duck in the first innings and managed only 12 runs in the second essay. Sarfaraz too failed to open his account in the first innings but smashed 150 runs in his second hit.
"If you leave out Siraj, you will leave out KL Rahul as well" - Ajay Jadeja
![KL Rahul smashed 68 runs off 43 deliveries in India's first innings of the Kanpur Test against Bangladesh. [P/C: BCCI]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/10/2bc0d-17294231324184-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same discussion, Ajay Jadeja opined that KL Rahul will be left out only if Mohammed Siraj is also asked to make way for Akash Deep.
"I am with him. I am seeing it in such a way that the player who was rested was a No. 3 batter. The guy you played in this match, you played him by removing Virat Kohli from No. 4. If you leave out Siraj, you will leave out KL Rahul as well. I think both of them are in a similar situation," he said.
While noting that India can also opt to go a bowler short to accommodate both Rahul and Sarfaraz, the cricketer-turned-commentator added that the former will likely retain his position, with Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli batting at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively.
"In fact, Rahul might be above Siraj in terms of designation. If anyone will be left, both will be. However, there is another option as well. You can go towards four bowlers and add another batter. That's difficult. Since Virat Kohli played at No. 3, I feel Gill will come back, Kohli will go back to his place and KL Rahul might survive," Jadeja elaborated.
Kohli batted at No. 3 in the first Test against New Zealand to accommodate Sarfaraz at No. 4. The modern batting great was dismissed for a duck in the first innings but scored 70 runs off 102 deliveries in the second essay.