Team India vice-captain KL Rahul is back with the first Test of the four-match Test series against Australia from Thursday (February 9), the limited-overs series against New Zealand to marry Bollywood star Athiya Shetty. After memorizing Rahul, who has already reached Nagpur for the first Test and started training with the rest of Team India, turned spiritual like his former captain Virat Kohli.
ahead of the test series Rahul struggling for form After a forgettable series against Bangladesh, Kohli-like turned to spiritual help. Rahul visited the famous Sai Baba temple in Nagpur before the series.
KL Rahul visited Sai Baba Temple in Nagpur. pic.twitter.com/sXZOp6K7vG– Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 7, 2023
Kohli along with his Bollywood star wife Anushka Sharma and daughter Vamika recently jetted off for a vacation which also included a spiritual visit to Swami Dayanand Giri Ashram in Rishikesh.
With Rishabh Pant ruled out of the Test series against Australia, there was speculation that KL Rahul might be asked to keep wicket. However, it looks like either Ishan Kishan or KS Bharat – both specialist wicketkeepers – will take over the gloves.
“KL has had several injuries in the last one year. Wicketkeeping in Tests is not ideal for him. Testing requires expert keepers. Bharat and Ishaan have two each in the team. It is for the team management to decide who to pick.
Meanwhile, former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist believes Australia will field all-rounder Cameron Green at number six as a pure batsman in the first Test against India starting on Thursday. The 23-year-old is recovering from surgery on the index finger on his right hand, which was broken during the Boxing Day Test against South Africa last December.
Australia coach Andrew McDonald has already confirmed that Green is currently unable to bowl. “That’s the mindset of the selectors and this team, I think they’ll start with Green at six, assuming he’s fully fit and not hampered at all by the finger injury,” Gilchrist told ‘Sen Radio’ are not.”
“I think that’s the nature of this group, they rely on each other a lot and are really willing to support each other in every situation.”
Green, who has played 18 Tests, averages 35.04 with the bat and impressed in three innings in Sri Lanka last year. He has also taken 23 wickets with his seam bowling, with an all-time best of 5/27.
(With PTI inputs)