#IndiaInAustralia: Sunil Gavaskar has this message for Team India
Legendary cricketer and current television commentator Sunil Gavaskar has urged Team India to drop struggling KL Rahul, if the batsman fails with the bat in the second innings of the first Test against Australia in Adelaide. Rahul managed a paltry score of two runs in the first innings. He had faced eight deliveries. Here is what Gavaskar had to say.
Poor technique once again the downfall for Rahul
Rahul has endured a difficult 2018 campaign and his problems outside the subcontinent has maximized. Technical issues have consistently bogged him down. In the first innings, Josh Hazlewood bowled a fuller delivery outside the off-stump and Rahul decided to have a swing at it. All Rahul managed was to provide a thick outside edge to Aaron Finch at third slip.
'KL Rahul should be dropped from playing XI'
Gavaskar told Aaj Tak, "KL Rahul should be dropped from playing XI if he fails to score in the second innings. Because he has no more self-confidence left in him. There was a time when he was a very confident player, but now he doesn't look so." He has also criticized the player for not correcting the faults in his techniques.
Rahul is averaging 22.21 this year
India have backed Rahul for eleven Tests this year, and the results have been poor. Rahul has played 19 innings this year, including the one in Adelaide. He has only managed to score 422 runs during this period. His average is 22.21 across 19 innings. India have backed him all along, but the management could be running out of patience now.
Rahul isn't a young player anymore: Bangar
Recently, batting coach Sanjay Bangar said, "Rahul isn't a young player anymore and he is on his second tour here. He has played 30 Tests and he has a responsibility. We expect him to play with that responsibility and play his role for the team."
Rahul has failed to get going
Be it home or away, Rahul has failed to get going. In the away Test series in South Africa, he managed just 30 runs from 2 Tests. In England, Rahul's dismal form continued and he scored only 299 runs in 10 innings, with a ton included in that. Against West Indies at home, he managed a paltry 37 runs in 3 innings.
