Indian coach backs KL Rahul ahead of India vs Bangladesh Kanpur Test

India staged an impressive outing in Chennai when they faced Bangladesh in a Test assignment, their first in seven months. While the first day was a shock for the team, the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja stole the limelight with a spectacular turnaround for India against Bangladesh. However, despite India's thumping 280-run win in the first Test, there remain some concerns for the team to address. Moving beyond Virat Kohli and skipper Rohit Sharma, who are facing a lean patch in the format currently, one of the key players who has consistently disappointed in recent times is KL Rahul. Marking his return to Test cricket for the first time after he sustained an injury during the England Tour of India, Rahul failed in the middle order in the first India vs Bangladesh Test at Chepauk.

KL Rahul had been picked in the Indian playing XI for the first Test ahead of Sarfaraz Khan. Naturally, the 32-year-old met severe criticism as he once again failed to utilize the opportunity presented to him. Now, as India prepares for the final Test of the series in Kanpur, questions have been raised as to whether Rahul will continue in the team or if it is time for Sarfaraz Khan to replace him.

Amidst the discussions, India assistant batting coach Abhishek Nayar has backed KL Rahul. Addressing the media ahead of the second IND vs BAN Test, Nayar reinstated his trust in Rahul to bounce back. Speaking ahead of the second red-ball clash, Nayar acknowledged the challenges Rahul has faced but stressed the need to back players during difficult phases.

"We all know the kind of player Rahul is," Nayar said in the pre-match press conference on Thursday. "He has the experience and the talent, but every cricketer goes through phases where things don't click. It's during these times that our role as a coaching team becomes vital - to help him grow, to find that spark again."

Before coming to the India vs Bangladesh series, KL Rahul featured in the Duleep Trophy. In the sole match that he played in the domestic tournament, Rahul managed a slow-paced 37 off 111 balls in the opening session. His stint drew criticism for his indecisiveness and reluctance to play aggressive strokes when needed, an allegation that Rahul has consistently fielded throughout his career. His failure to rotate the strike raised questions about his approach. However, in the second innings, Rahul showed improvement with a 57 off 121 balls, playing a crucial role in stabilizing the innings during a batting collapse. 

However, for India in the first Test, KL Rahul came in when India were struggling to find a footing against Bangladesh at Chepauk. The pace attack led by Hasan Mahmud in the first innings had reduced India to 96 for 4. Luckily for Rahul, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal had held his fort on the other end when he came down to bat. However, the middle-order batter failed in the only task he had that day, which was to stabilize and anchor the Indian innings. Rahul departed at a mere score of 16 off 54, irking the fraternity further. However, Nayar is firm in his stance that KL, a seasoned player by now, will quickly script a turnaround under the watchful guidance of Gautam Gambhir.

"When you are playing for India, inspiration is not something you need. Sometimes it is just direction and I feel KL is having spent a little time with him in the last few days. He is someone who understands his game very well. Yes, there are times where a player sort of is finding his feet. I feel in South Africa, he played tremendous knocks for India when he was there.

"So we are very hopeful to the kind of combination that Gautam (Gambhir) has had and I have had a (discussion) with him that hopefully we can have a turnaround in KL as well. 

The second Test between India and Bangladesh kicks off on September 27 in Kanpur. The Green Park Stadium, as reported, has prepared two pitches for the match, a black soil one and the other being red-soil. Abhishek Nayar, in the discussion, informed that India will lock in the Playing XI after closely analysing the pitch and the match day conditions.