Playing 11 for 2nd India vs New Zealand Test to be decided after discussion with Virat Kohli: Rahul Dravid
Head coach Rahul Dravid remained non-committal to questions about India's playing 11 for the second Test after the team's failure to win in Kanpur on Monday. Rahul Dravid said the team will zero in on the lineup only after discussions with skipper Virat Kohli - who'll return from his break in the match - and after assessing other factors.
India, under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane, had to contend with a draw in Kanpur after New Zealand's last batting pair salvaged a thrilling draw. The Test saw a brilliant debut from Shreyas Iyer (105 and 65) and another mediocre outing for Rahane (35 and 4) which has raised doubts about who could make way for Virat Kohli.
When asked about the same in the post-match press conference, Rahul Dravid said:
"Look, we haven't decided what our playing 11 would be. It would be very early [to talk about that now]. Today we were only focused on this Test only. When we go to Mumbai, we'll look at the conditions, the pitch, Virat Kohli will come in too so there will be a discussion with him as well. Then we'll take a call on what will be our playing 11 and who will play."
Rahane's experience and seniority have arguably saved him from the ax amid an extended run of low scores. The 33-year-old's average has fallen below 20 this year - 411 runs from 12 games at 19.57 - for the first time in his career.
Rahul Dravid admitted that the team expects better from Rahane but also expressed hope that he'll be able to turn it around with one good game or innings.
Rahul Dravid said:
"Of course, you'll like more runs from Ajinkya. I am sure he would like a few more runs but he's a quality player, he has done well in the past. He's one of those guys with the quality, he's got that experience. So hopefully, it's just a matter of an innings or a game where he can turn that around. Certainly, he would like to score more runs and he knows that, and we know that."
Rahane said "Virat Kohli will come back for the second Test, I will not make any comments on the team changes, team management will decide it".
If India does decide to give Rahane a break in the next Test, Iyer will likely bat at No.5. The other option is to drop Mayank Agarwal, who played his first Test in 10 months in Kanpur and scored, and open with either Wriddhiman Saha or KS Bharat in Mumbai.
"Shreyas Iyer has grown into a cricketer who can come to the international scene and perform straightaway" - Rahul Dravid
A dream start to his Test career and @ShreyasIyer15 is named the Player of the Match.✨
@Paytm #TeamIndia #INDvNZ https://t.co/BHbHwUz6b9
Rahul Dravid also spared some rich praise for Iyer. He lauded the 26-year-old batter for his maturity and ability to perform under pressure even without recent exposure to red-ball cricket. Rahul Dravid added:
"He's grown into a cricketer who can come to the international scene and perform straightaway. Pretty happy for Shreyas. He has obviously worked very hard, he's had to earn it. It wasn't easy for him... Of course, he does average over 50 in first-class cricket [but] he hadn't played first-class cricket for the last 2-3 years. [He] probably wouldn't have made the level if we hadn't had the injuries and people weren't resting. But when he got the opportunity he's taken it with both hands and really shown his quality."
The second Test at Wankhade Stadium will begin on December 3. India will be under pressure to keep its dominance at home intact while New Zealand will certainly come with a 'nothing to lose' attitude.