Former Indian keeper-batter Deep Dasgupta shared his verdict on KL Rahul keeping the wickets for India in the five-match Test series against England. He believes that the Karnataka batter possesses great skills as a keeper but doesn’t have experience of donning the gloves in Indian conditions.
India have named three keepers in the squad for the upcoming Test series against England. KL Rahul, KS Bharat, and Dhruv Jurel have been assigned the roles. But the major question that is keeping everyone engaged is who will keep the wickets in the Test series.
KL Rahul kept wickets in the Test series against South Africa but there is no clarity if he will do a job in the England series or not. Wicket-keeping in India isn’t an easy task as it requires a lot to do that because balls spin sharply, making keeping an extremely crucial thing.
KL Rahul, who for the first kept wickets in South Africa in Test cricket, hasn’t even done the job in the Ranji Trophy in India. But with the kind of quality he possesses with the bat, to make him sit could turn out to be a blunder, especially against quality team England.
Deep Dasgupta believes that KL Rahul isn’t a part-time keeper as he was India’s keeper in the ODI World Cup. The former cricketer pointed out the challenge of keeping in Tests and stressed that doing the job for longer periods will be a challenge. Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, he stated:
“See, I don’t think it’s right to call Rahul a part-time keeper. He played in the World Cup for India as a wicketkeeper. You need to have the skill to do that. The challenge for him is that he hasn’t done the job in first-class cricket, in Ranji trophy cricket where you spend 90 overs or maybe even longer on the field in the heat and everything.
“So for wicketkeepers, as much as it is a skill, it’s that repetition that is essential and you only get that by playing more matches. Because the skill is the same. It’s just catching the ball. But doing it for long periods of time is what matters.”
I don’t think KL Rahul has faced that before – Deep Dasgupta on keeping against Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja
Deep Dasgupta while talking about KL Rahul further highlighted that the batter hasn’t kept wickets against Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja and it will be a huge challenge.
The former Indian cricketer further spoke about the keeper’s role in India and said that one can only master it after practice. He elaborated:
“On spinning pitches, against Ashwin and Jadeja, I don’t think KL has faced that before. I don’t want to say that conditions in South Africa were easier for him as a keeper. But it will be different in India.
“A keeper in India is in play for almost four or five balls of the over. And there are 90 overs in a day. You have to show the same concentration level that you had at the start, at the end. That only comes with practice.”
There were recent reports that suggested that team management has expressed to BCCI that they don’t want KL Rahul to keep wickets in Test series against England. Therefore KS Bharat is the first choice to take the role.
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