"Shows that even his time is against him"- Harbhajan Singh on KL Rahul's dismissal in IND vs AUS 2nd Test
Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh feels KL Rahul should really consider taking a short break from the game to help declutter his mind after another run of poor form in Test cricket. The way the opener was dismissed in the second innings of the Delhi Test against Australia summed up his tough time.
Rahul tried to work a half-tracker from Nathan Lyon towards square leg and could only hit it straight to Peter Handscomb at short leg. The ball took a ricoshet off Handscomb's knee and was lobbed into the hands of wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
KL Rahul was distraught as he made his way back to the pavilion. Speaking to Sports Tak, here's what Harbhajan Singh had to say about the Indian opener:
"The way KL Rahul got out today, shows that even his time is against him. He has enormous talent and potential, but his numbers don't do justice to that. These numbers could have been much better, given his calibre and so I feel just a small break could help him reflect on his game and understand how he would be able to make a comeback."
Speaking further about how a break could help Rahul, Harbhajan added:
"It's not that Rahul is not trying his best. We all have expectations, but sometimes we need to understand that when a player is not in form, he needs some space to reflect on what he can do differently. I feel that a break could really help him clear his head and make a strong comeback."
I have seen many big names struggle: Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh claimed that poor form was something that every great player has gone through. He has shared a dressing room with legends of Indian cricket and feels that when such a rough patch comes in any player's career, it becomes difficult for them to keep going.
On this, he stated:
"I have seen many big names struggle when they haven't been able to score runs consistently. That doubt that enters their minds that "something is wrong" is enough to make them restless and clueless when they go through such a patch. That seed of doubt then makes it very difficult for them to get out of the poor run of form."
KL Rahul has not been named as the vice-captain for the final two Tests of the series. It will be interesting to see if he is dropped for the third Test in Indore.