India Playing XI Puzzle: Should KL Rahul stay despite Sarfaraz Khan’s stunning ton?

Despite losing the Bengaluru Test, all hopes are not lost. In fact, Team India would be confident of turning things around in the IND vs NZ Pune Test. BCCI has helped them get to their target with a slow-turner pitch where Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will dominate along with Kuldeep Yadav. However, the biggest puzzle Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir will face in KL Rahul. Should he or shouldn’t he be part of India Playing XI for Pune Test, especially with Sarfaraz Khan slamming a ton?

With Shubman Gill missing the Bengaluru Test with a “stiff neck”, Sarfaraz Khan capitalised on the opportunity slamming 150 in the 2nd innings. However, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has confirmed that Gill has recovered and is available for selection. That does not sound good for Sarfaraz Khan as India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir is keen to give KL Rahul a longer rope.

India Playing XI 2nd Test: KL Rahul in or out?

That brings us to the biggest question: Is KL Rahul in or out of India Playing XI? Since making his Test debut, Rahul has been in and out of the squad. With Sarfaraz Khan also rising up to the occasion and Rahul scoring 0 & 12 in his home Test, his spot is once again in danger. But as Gambhir wants to give him a longer rope, he is likely to retain his spot in the IND vs NZ 2nd Test.

“There is no concern about KL, he is in good space, but we are certainly going to have to fit 7 pieces into 6 spots for this Test & look at the pitch now & decide what is going to be best for the team, Gauti is keen to give him a long rope-like Sanju,” India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate.

What happens to Sarfaraz Khan?

If Shubman Gill returns and KL Rahul keeps his place, for no fault of his own, there will be no place for Sarfaraz Khan in India Playing XI. After an impressive debut in the IND vs ENG Test series, Sarfaraz made a case for himself in Bengaluru. But with senior players getting the preference, he will be demoted to the bench once again.

Player	Inns	Runs	Avg	50/100
KL Rahul	8	234	33.42	2/0
Sarfaraz Khan	7	350	58.33	3/1
Shubman Gill	15	662	50.92	3/2
Dhruv Jurel	4	190	63.33	1/0

Rishabh Pant vs Dhurv Jurel

Dhruv Jurel had to step in to keep wickets with Rishabh Pant injured in Bengaluru. While Pant batted without any hiccups, slamming 99 off 105 balls, Jurel kept wickets in the 2nd innings. In Pune’s first practice session, Rishabh did not take part in keeping drills. Instead, Jurel spent close to two hours in keeping drills with Rishabh Pant watching him from the sidelines.

However, on Day 2 of practice in Pune, Rishabh Pant returned to keeping drills and also batted for close to an hour. If he is fit to play, he will be the designated keeper-batter with Jurel once again warming the bench.

Predicted India Playing XI 2nd Test

1. Rohit Sharma (C)
2. Yashasvi Jaiswal
3. Shubman Gill
4. Virat Kohli
5. Rishabh Pant (WK)
6. KL Rahul
7. Ravindra Jadeja
8. Ravichandran Ashwin
9. Kuldeep Yadav
10. Akash Deep
11. Jasprit Bumrah

Mohd Siraj out?

Another big decision Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma must take is in the bowling department. With Pune set to offer a slow-turning pitch, India will opt for three spinners Ashwin, Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav in India Playing XI. But it’s the pace bowling department that needs a change.

Jasprit Bumrah has been doing the heavy lifting so far in the pace bowling department. But it’s Mohd Siraj who has been disappointing. In 13 Tests in India, Siraj has bagged just 19 wickets at an average of 36.15. In Bengaluru, Siraj conceded 84 runs at an economy rate of 4.66. In short, he was taken out of the contest by Kiwi batters. In the last two years, Siraj’s average in the home Test has been an abysmal 45.15.

To keep him fresh for the Australia tour, Gambhir Rohit pair should rest him, recalling Akash Deep. The Bengal pacer has been fantastic so far, bagging eight wickets in five innings.