Senior India batter KL Rahul is under fire again after a disappointing outing in the Test series against South Africa. Despite strong performances against England and the West Indies, expectations went up, but he couldn’t rise to the occasion this time, bringing his consistency back into question. With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma stepping away from Tests, the responsibility of anchoring the batting fell heavily on Rahul. But against the Proteas, he couldn’t provide the stability India needed, contributing to a disappointing whitewash.
Rahul managed only 68 runs across four innings, and at times it looked as if the visiting batters were better equipped to handle the Indian conditions than him and the rest of the hosts lineup.
Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa praised Rahul’s resilience in Test cricket, pointing out the challenges of shifting batting positions and dealing with inconsistencies. He called Rahul’s ability to still amass notable numbers despite these hurdles “phenomenal.”
"For whatever reason, KL has had to work through his inconsistencies and moving positions in this Test squad. For me, the fact that he has actually stacked up these kinds of numbers even (after) how much he has been changed around itself is phenomenal. He has had to endure a lot within Test cricket," Uthappa said on his YouTube channel.
Rahul’s Test average has frequently been questioned; despite featuring in 67 matches, his average hovers just above 35, falling short of expectations given his talent and experience.
“India will run out of patience with him”
Uthappa warned that Rahul’s inconsistent performances in Tests could cost him, even as a senior player. He stressed that another mediocre series like the recent one might test the selectors’ patience and impact Rahul’s place in the team.
"Even as a senior pro, it leaves him in a position of weakness and which is why him performing for his own spot, even though he is a senior pro, is important for his own cricket. I am telling you, one more series of him playing middling series like he has had this one, this has been a poor one, but one more of this, and then they will run out of patience with him," he addedd.