"This guy has forgotten how to use his bat" - Fans react to KL Rahul's bizarre dismissal in IND-A vs AUS-A 2024 unofficial Test
KL Rahul failed to make a significant impact with the bat in India A's second innings of the ongoing unofficial Test against Australia A. The senior batter was dismissed cheaply on Day 2 (Friday, November 8) at Melbourne.
Opening the batting for India A, Rahul scored just 10 runs off 44 deliveries. The 32-year-old's knock ended after he was bowled through his legs off Corey Rocchiccioli's bowling.
Rahul perished on the first ball of the 18th over. He looked to play the off-spinner's ball on the back foot but was caught in two minds. The ball hit his pad and crashed into the stumps.
The seasoned campaigner bagged twin failures in the ongoing fixture, registering scores of 4 and 10. He was slammed by many on social media following his dismissal in the second innings.
Here are some of the top reactions:
Many Indian supporters expressed their concern over Rahul's underwhelming performance ahead of the crucial Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 Test series against Australia.
"The biggest non-performer that India has carried for a decade." wrote a fan
"KL Rahul's form is alarmingly low. He must prioritize domestic cricket to regain his confidence and skill. This is NOT how you get out playing international cricket." commented another
"This guy has forgotten how to use his bat." chimed in yet another
It is worth mentioning that KL Rahul was a late addition to India A's squad for the second unofficial Test. However, he failed to make the most of the opportunity, failing to score big in both innings.
Rahul had an underwhelming run in India's recently concluded three-match home Test series against New Zealand as well. He scored 12 runs across two innings in the opening encounter and was left out of the playing XI for the remaining fixtures.
"We were saying Sarfaraz or KL Rahul at No. 6, Dhruv Jurel might be your No. 6" - Aakash Chopra
Former cricketer Aakash Chopra believes keeper-batter Dhruv Jurel should bat at No. 6 in India's BGT 2024-25 batting line-up. He pointed out that Jurel was the only saving grace for India A in the first innings of the second unofficial Test against Australia A with a fine 80-run knock.
Suggesting that Jurel might pip the likes of Sarfaraz Khan and KL Rahul for a spot in India's middle order, Chopra said on his YouTube channel:
"One guy saved the honor a little bit. His name is Dhruv Jurel. He scored 80 runs, hit two sixes, played 186 balls, and gave a semblance of respectability to the score because India could score 161. It seemed at one stage that they would be all out for 80-85. It's a slightly strange thing but don't rule it out. We were saying Sarfaraz or KL Rahul at No. 6, Dhruv Jurel might be your No. 6."
The first Test of the five-match series between India and Australia is set to be played in Perth from November 22.