Batting coach Vikram Rathour fully understands that Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are Indian players who are in the late stages of their Test careers. But the former opener could not give a definite answer on Sunday as to which player will be out of the playing XI when skipper Virat Kohli returns for the next Test against New Zealand.
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Rathod defended caretaker captain Rahane’s (19.57) of less than 20 and vice-captain Pujara’s 2021 Test average of 30.42, saying, ‘Surely he would have done well for us by playing so many matches.’ “We understand that both are going through a bad phase at the moment but we understand that they have played very important innings for us in the past. We are confident that he will come back and play important innings for us.
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How many tests can be given to a player to return to form 15 or 20? So he said that the number cannot be fixed for this. He said, ‘I don’t think you can fix the numbers for this. It depends on the situation and what the team needs to do.
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When asked who will be dropped for the Mumbai Test after Kohli’s arrival? He said, ‘The captain is making a comeback, it will be in the next match, when we reach Mumbai, we will decide on it. Right now the focus is on this match, there is one day left and the match has to be won. When we reach Mumbai, we will talk about it.
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