KL Rahul’s batting number and current form will be keenly watched by the national selection committee as he gets ready to show his wares for India A against an Australia A lineup that will have seasoned Scott Boland in its ranks in the second unofficial Test match starting here on Thursday.
Apart from Rahul, there isn’t a single player in the India A lineup who has featured in a match at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where India is scheduled to play the Boxing Day Test from December 26.
Having been dropped midway through the home Tests against New Zealand, the Indian selectors in consultation with the team management decided to send Rahul and reserve keeper Dhruv Jurel for the second ‘A’ Test before they link up with the senior team in Perth on November 11.
With Boland, one of Australia’s senior reserve pacers steaming in and hitting the deck, it will be a stern test for the likes of Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ruturaj Gaikwad, B. Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal but Rahul will certainly get the maximum traction because of his chances of playing in the high-profile Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
During the practice session at the MCG, Rahul looked in good touch.
With Easwaran and skipper Gaikwad set to open, it is expected that Rahul will bat at No. 5 or 6 as that would be his batting position if he is selected in the playing XI at any point during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
There is a firm belief that when it comes to facing quality fast bowling in bouncy conditions, Rahul with hundreds at Lord’s, Oval, Sydney, Centurion is better equipped than Sarfaraz Khan. However, after his 150 against New Zealand at Bengaluru, Sarfaraz will certainly be the favourite to play at the Optus Stadium from November 22.
As far as the India A team is concerned, there will be four changes in the squad that played the first ‘unofficial Test’ at Mackay, which it lost by seven wickets.
Rahul will come in place of Baba Indrajith, who scored 9 and 6 at Mackay and didn’t look against pace and bounce.
Jurel will come in place of Ishan Kishan, who was at the centre of a ball-change controversy at Mackay.
Navdeep Saini, who also had a poor game will make way for left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed, while off-spinner all-rounder Tanush Kotian will replace slow left-arm orthodox Manav Suthar in the playing 11.
Two players who will miss out on game time are keeper-batter Abhishek Porel and middle-order willow wielder Ricky Bhui.
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