KL Rahul should be disappointed getting out to an off-spinner off a straightforward delivery: Zaheer Khan
Former India left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan reckons that KL Rahul should be disappointed with the manner of his dismissal on the opening day of the first Test against Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday, September 19. Zaheer pointed out that Rahul had done all the hard work, but ended up giving his wicket away to a not-so-great delivery.
Sent into bat, India made 339-6 on Day 1 of the Chennai Test. All-rounders Ravichandran Ashwin (102*) and Ravindra Jadeja (86*) were India's heroes of the day's play. The hosts were in big strife at one stage, reeling at 144-6.
Rahul, who came into bat at No. 6, scored an ungainly 16 off 52 balls. The right-handed batter was dismissed giving a catch to short leg off Mehidy Hasan Miraz's bowling.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Zaheer opined that the experienced batter's mode of dismissal is a cause for concern.
"If a batter spends time at the crease and plays 50-60 balls, then one can say that he is set. If you get out after getting set, then it is a cause for concern. KL Rahul played through what is considered tough time for a batter. But then, getting out to an off-spinner off a straightforward delivery is disappointing," he said.
The 45-year-old added that batting at the No. 6 position should not be an issue for Rahul if the team needs him to do so and that his dismissal had nothing to do with his batting position.
"I don't think there is a lot to ponder upon as far as batting order is concerned. If you are batting in the middle-order, it's either at four, five or six, depending on the team situation and needs. Skipper Rohit Sharma had also made it clear that the middle-order role has been fixed for him," the Indian legend explained.
Rahul added 48 runs for the fifth wicket with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (56 off 118). However, both were dismissed in quick succession as India found themselves in trouble before Ashwin Jadeja's rescue act.
KL Rahul's Test record has been under the scanner
While there has never been any doubt about Rahul's batting talent, his red-ball career has constantly been under the scanner. The ongoing match against Bangladesh in Chennai is his 51st Test. He has scored 2,879 runs at an average of just under 34.
The 32-year-old has only eight centuries to his credit in Test cricket, with two coming in England, two in South Africa, and one in Australia. In his previous Test before getting injured, Rahul scored 86 and 22 against England in Hyderabad in January this year.