Pune (Maharashtra): India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Wednesday backed under-fire batter KL Rahul for the second Test against New Zealand despite failure in the first, saying it's the team management's opinion that matters and not the criticism that he is facing on social media.
Rahul was dismissed for a duck in the first innings of the opening Test against the Kiwis in Bengaluru and made 12 in the second essay where India's top six made runs as the hosts lost the game by eight wickets. But it appears Gambhir is ready to give him a long rope.
"Social media does not matter one bit. What the team management and leadership group thinks is very important. He is batting really well, and had a decent knock in Kanpur (against Bangladesh on a difficult wicket)," Gambhir told reporters a day ahead of the Pune Test when asked about Rahul's place in the team.
Rahul had managed a 68-run knock in the first innings of the Kanpur Test against Bangladesh when India registered Test cricket's fastest-ever team fifty, team hundred, team 150, team 200 and team 250.
"I am sure he would be knowing that he has to score big runs and he has the capability of scoring runs. That's why he has been backed by the team...Ultimately, everyone is judged. International cricket is all about being judged," Gambhir added.
Nevertheless, Sarfaraz Khan's maiden hundred in the first Test has made the job more difficult for Rahul, and the Karnataka batter will look to get his act right in the second match should he play. He needs to perform in the remaining two Tests if wants to secure his place in the squad which will travel to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting from November 22.
New Zealand lead the three-match series following their eight-wicket victory in Bengaluru. It was a humbling experience for the mighty hosts who entered the series after completing a 2-0 sweep of Bangladesh including winning the Kanpur Test after a majority of the game was affected by rain.
"Cricket is a big leveller. If we have enjoyed days like Kanpur we had to endure what happened in Bengaluru. We didn't show any intention to bat out the remainder of the two and a half days," Gambhir said of the defeat in Bengaluru where India were shot out for 46 in the first innings, their lowest-ever total at home.
