BGT 2024-25: 'There's some fascination,' Ex-India batter not in favour of KL Rahul replacing Rohit in 1st Test
India tour of Australia: KL Rahul fails to deliver for India A as struggles continue for veteran batter
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar thinks that the current Indian team is in panic mode following a whitewash against New Zealand in the home Test series. India's 0-3 loss vs New Zealand earlier this month was their first-ever clean sweep at home in a Test series.
"Clearly India is in panic mode. They are a bit shaken by what happened against New Zealand at home and that's when plans start to go awry. And that is where I believe that one has to actually look at it in a different way, where you think there's nothing to lose here, so that's the time you go back and do the right thing and play players who deserve to get a chance," said Manjrekar while talking to cricket news website ESPNCricinfo.
Manjrekar also showed bemusement over KL Rahul kept getting chances despite dropping averages and the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) decision to send him to play for India A on theshadow tour Australia. The decision came ahead of India's upcoming five-Test tour of Australia which starts on November 22.
"KL Rahul, I don't know there's some fascination that the team management and the selectors have for him, that they just want him to be a part of the playing XI whether it's at the top or down the order. Maybe Easwaran hasn't convinced them as much," said Manjrekar.
"KL Rahul should consider himself very lucky to be getting opportunities. Such comebacks and opportunities, very few players over the years have been given. Whether he is up or down the order, the fact that he has received chances despite his average dropping, I guess somewhere they hope that KL Rahul will find the form that he is capable of. But I think that Easwaran opening with Jaiswal does not fill them up with confidence, but that will be the right thing to do," he added.
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With India skipper Rohit Sharma uncertain for the first Test in Perth, Abhimanyu Eswaran and Rahul are in line for his spot alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal.