India vs England: Rahul won't keep wickets in Test series
Indian cricket team head coach Rahul Dravid, on January 23, confirmed that KL Rahul won't be India's designated wicket-keeper in the upcoming five-match Test series against England at home. This means one of KS Bharat or the uncapped Dhruv Jurel will keep wickets in the series. Dravid highlighted the need for a specialist wicket-keeper on Indian pitches which support spin.
Rahul won't play as a wicket-keeper: Dravid
"Rahul won't be playing as a wicket-keeper in this series, and we are clear about that," Dravid said ahead of the 1st Test. "We have picked two other wicketkeepers and obviously Rahul did a fantastic job for us in South Africa. But considering five Test matches and playing in these conditions, the selection will be between the two other keepers we have."
Rahul kept wickets in South Africa series
Rahul kept wickets in India's previous Test series, in South Africa. He was impressive with the gloves on tricky surfaces. Wicket-keeper did not take a toll on his batting as he scored a scintillating ton in Centurion. However, wicket-keeping could be challenging on Indian pitches where the ball starts turning early in the Test. Notably, Rahul has been keeping wickets in Rishabh Pant's absence.
Will Bharat get an extension?
Bharat was considered India's first-choice Test wicket-keeper in Pant's absence last year. The former featured in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia and the ICC World Test Championship final. Bharat, who is known for his sound wicket-keeping technique, has failed to deliver with the bat so far. He has amassed 129 runs from eight innnings at a paltry average of 18.42.
What about the uncapped Jurel?
Jurel was India's vice-captain in the 2020 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, where India were the runners-up. Jurel, who represents UP in domestic cricket, first came into the limelight by scoring 736 runs from 11 matches in his debut season in the Cooch Behar Trophy. As of now, he owns 790 runs across 15 FC games at 46.47 (100: 1, 50s: 5).
India's squad for first two Tests
India's squad (first two Tests): Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain), and Avesh Khan.
