India’s coach Rahul Dravid with skipper Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul throughout a apply session forward of the primary Test cricket match between India and South Africa, in Centurion, South Africa, on December 24, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI
KL Rahul has at all times been assured about keeping wickets in Tests and the upcoming sequence towards South Africa will give India’s new gloveman a chance to do one thing totally different, head coach Rahul Dravid stated on Sunday.
With KS Bharat having been discovered technically inept when it comes to batting talents in conventional format, Indian crew administration’s different choice was Ishan Kishan, who determined to take a ‘mental health’ break.
In that sense, Rahul wasn’t simply your best option amongst the troika however he was additionally the one viable choice in a stress situation and on the pacer-friendly tracks right here.
“I see it as an exciting challenge, an opportunity for him to certainly do something different. Obviously, with Ishan not being available this opportunity came up, we had a couple of keepers to choose from and Rahul is one of them.
We had discussed with him and he was very confident and was keen on giving it a go,” Dravid stated throughout a media interplay.
While Dravid understood that the challenges of keeping in Tests was totally totally different however he trusted the man Bengaluru man to do a superb job, having proven respectable talents within the 50-over model.
“We do understand it is not something he has done as often (keeping in Tests). But he has been doing it regularly in 50 overs cricket and that takes a lot out of your body. He has prepared well over the last five to six months, he has done a lot of keeping,” Dravid stated.
‘Rahul won’t must preserve a lot towards spin’
While Dravid defined the rationale behind opting Rahul as wicketkeeper, he additionally dropped trace that there received’t be a lot spin bowling on this monitor successfully ruling out Ravichandran Ashwin as second spinner.
“This will be a new and exciting challenge for him. I guess one of the things is there’s not going to be that much spin bowling, so that will ease him into the role a little bit, something how it goes and pans out,” the coach stated.
Having Rahul as keeper additionally provides the crew the cushion of an additional batter, which on this case is Shreyas Iyer. Had Kishan performed, one specialist batter amongst Rahul and Iyer would have needed to make manner for him.
“It’s really nice to have him for the option he provides us. His ability with the bat will be useful and he has kept in white ball cricket and the question is of transforming that into red ball cricket,” the coach added.
There is a forecast for heavy rains throughout the first two days and probabilities of moisture beneath the floor however Dravid was assured that his crew has bowling depth to counter hostile situations.
“Look, you need to check out what happens on the match day. We still have another day left before the match starts. We need to see what’s in-front of us. What’s up there (sky) and what’s down there (pitch), you will only know on the match day,” the coach stated.
“We will take a decision but we have balance, if we want, we can play two spinners and three seamers and maybe four seamers. We have that depth and balance (in team) but you can’t control weather,” he sounded a tad bullish.