India batting coach Vikram Rathour has shared thoughts on middle-order batter KL Rahul’s injury issues which has ruled him out of the upcoming fourth Test against England. This match will be played in Ranchi’s JSCA Stadium on February 23 onwards.
KL Rahul had missed the second and third Test against England due to an injury and was expected to return to the Indian team for the Ranchi Test.
But on Tuesday, a BCCI release confirmed that KL Rahul will miss the Ranchi Test and his availability for the fifth and final Test in Dharamshala is also under doubt.
Indian batting coach Vikram Rathour has now stated that Rahul is not fit but is unsure ‘what percent he is fit at the moment’.
“For me, either he is fit or he is not. At the moment, he is not fit. I am not sure what percent he is fit at the moment and what the stage is. I am not sure. The medical team will be able to advise that, but as far as we are concerned, he is not fit and not available for this game, so we are focusing on this team,” said Rathour during the pre-match press conference ahead of the fourth Test.
With both Virat Kohli and then KL Rahul missing out in the ongoing Test series, Rajat Patidar got an extended run in the Indian team. But apart from a good innings on his debut, the MP batter has failed to grab his opportunities.
“As far as having conversations with him Patidar, yes, we have been having a lot of conversations with him but one thing he needs to understand is that this is how this game goes. He has been batting well, he has scored a lot of runs to get into the team and doesn’t become a bad player in two matches.
He is a very good player. He has really batted well in whatever cricket he has played. He has had a few tough games, and a few awkward dismissals where the ball has stopped on him, this can happen, this is how the game goes. Absolutely no doubt that he is a good player and on his day he will come up with a very impactful innings,” said Rathour.
While England has unveiled its playing Xi for the fourth Test in Ranchi, India is yet to finalize its squad and it remains to be seen whether Patidar manages to keep his spot in the XI or not.
(PTI inputs)
