"Not somebody who enjoys keeping in Test cricket" - Dinesh Karthik on possibility of KL Rahul donning the gloves in WTC final
Dinesh Karthik recently opened up about the possibility of KL Rahul playing as a wicketkeeper for India if they qualify for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final.
During a discussion on Cricbuzz, Karthik suggested that Rahul doesn't prefer to keep wickets in Test matches. The veteran gloveman also pointed out that standing behind the stumps in red-ball cricket was very different from keeping in the shorter formats.
Discussing Rahul's chances of featuring in the WTC finals as a wicketkeeper, Dinesh Karthik explained:
"I will see how Rahul feels because KL is not somebody who enjoys keeping in Test cricket because it is a completely different ball game. But I will definitely keep that in the back of my mind. It is an option that is very, very usable if KL is up for wicketkeeping."
Notably, KL Rahul lost his place in the playing XI ahead of the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia after a string of poor performances. However, India might be tempted to accommodate him in the side for the WTC final in London, given his impressive record in overseas conditions.
Rahul was one of India's top performers during India's tour of England in 2021-22, scoring 315 runs, including a century and a fifty in four Tests.
"The man's got a hundred" - Dinesh Karthik picks Shubman Gill over KL Rahul for WTC final
Dinesh Karthik further stated that India should persist with Shubman Gill in the WTC final, given that he scored a fantastic century against Australia in the Ahmedabad Test.
He reckoned that Gill has the ability to play as an opener for India in the longest format for at least 10 years. The 37-year-old suggested that the team management is expected to back the youngster in the near future.
"I will definitely go with Shubman Gill, there's no doubt about it," Karthik elaborated. "The man's got a hundred in the last Test before the WTC final. You get the feeling that Shubman Gill is in for the long run. He is a long racehorse. He's the one that you want to put your money on and say, 'I want to see him in 2033 still there opening for India'."
Gill made a strong case for himself with his batting exploits in the ongoing fourth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The right-handed batter slammed his second Test century, scoring 128 runs in India's first innings.
It is worth mentioning that Rohit Sharma and Co. have still not qualified for the WTC final, which will be played at the Oval in London in June. They will advance straightaway to the final if they win the fourth Test against Australia in Ahmedabad.
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However, their fate won't remain in their hands if they suffer a loss or the match ends in a draw. If that happens, Sri Lanka have a chance of joining Australia in the WTC final by beating New Zealand 2-0 in their ongoing series.