‘If he bats at No.5 or 6…’ – Former Indian opener’s big statement on KL Rahul ahead of Test Championship final

On Day 5 of India vs Australia’s fourth Test in Ahmedabad, New Zealand defeated Sri Lanka in a nail-biting last-ball drama during lunch time. The outcome had a surprising impact. Regardless of the outcome in Ahmedabad, it eliminated Sri Lanka from contention and India advanced to the World Test Championship final.

After the last Test finished in a draw, India won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1. It didn’t take long for the attention to turn to the Test Championship final, which will be played on June 7 against Australia at the Oval in London.

The absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant, two of India’s top players, will be one of their biggest concerns. They both have long-term injuries that have kept them away from playing cricket, and there is, currently, no indication of when they might be able to come back.

Bumrah’s absence during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy had little effect on India’s bowling because the majority of overs were bowled by spinners. However, it will be challenging to fill his gap in english conditions.

Keep KL Rahul in mind when you pick your XI for the Test Championship final: Sunil Gavaskar 

Throughout the four Test matches against Australia, both as a keeper and a batter, Pant was missed greatly. KS Bharat’s performance with the bat fell short of expectations, and his fielding in front of a spinning ball also lacked confidence.

The pitch in the Test Championship final is not anticipated to favor spinners, but this will shift attention back to Bharat’s batting. During the 2018 England tour, Pant, one of India’s most dependable batters in Test cricket in overseas conditions, reached his first century at the same location.

Primarily due to his batting ability, KL Rahul should be taken into consideration as a keeper-batter for the WTC final, according to former Indian opener, Sunil Gavaskar.

“You can see KL Rahul as a wicketkeeper. If he bats at No.5 or 6 in at the Oval (in the WTC final) then our batting will be stronger. Because he batted really well in England last year. He scored a century at the Lord’s. Keep KL Rahul in mind when you pick your XI for the Test Championship final,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying on Sports Tak.