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Laxman bats for Rahul over Dhawan, Pujara over Rohit in 1st India-NZ Test
The big decisions before Virat Kohli will be on choosing the opening pair and whether to deploy five bowlers or four.
India batting great VVS Laxman wants young KL Rahul to open the batting with Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara to be restored to No 3 when India take on New Zealand in the first Test starting in Kanpur on Thursday.
India have a hectic season of 13 home Tests ahead of them and by consensus New Zealand are seen as the easiest of their rivals, ahead of full series against England and Australia.
The big decisions before Virat Kohli will be on choosing the opening pair and whether to deploy five bowlers or four. Asked about his pick for the top-order slots, Laxman, at a promotional event with former skipper Kapil Dev and ex-Aussie fast bowler Brett Lee, organised by official broadcaster, Star India, was emphatic.
Laxman, whose iconic 281 against Australia in the 2001 Eden Gardens Test is among India’s standout efforts as they celebrate their 500th Test at the Green Park, said he expected the team management to go with five special bowlers.
“For openers, I will pick KL Rahul and Murali Vijay. Vijay has been the most consistent batsman in the last two-three seasons,” Laxman said. “Rahul’s emergence is no doubt because of Virat (his mentoring starting at Royal Challengers Bangalore). It will be tough on Shikhar, no doubt. And Pujara, with his effort in the Duleep Trophy, he will be my No 3.”
Vijay has been a picture of consistency, be it England, Australia, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, though injuries blighted his trip to Sri Lanka last year as well as the recent West Indies tour.
Delhi opener Dhawan is under pressure, having struggled since scoring a century in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle last year. He didn’t click in the home series against South Africa or in the Caribbean.
In the second Test in Kingston, the left-handed batsman made 27 in the only innings India batted and made 1 and 26 in the third Test in St Lucia. He was dropped for the final Test in Port-of-Spain, although it was all but washed out completely.
Rahul has gone from strength to strength, scoring 158 in Kingston after coming in for the injured Vijay and then scoring 50 and 28 in St Lucia where the visitors sealed the series win. Experts have agreed that it will be difficult to keep out the 24-year-old Karnataka batsman, who scored an unbeaten 110 in the first T20 international against West Indies at Lauderhill, Florida for good measure.
Pujara made a gritty 46 in Kingston but struggled to play freely before being run out and made way in the next Test in St Lucia for Rohit Sharma.
The record-holder for the highest ODI score though has not been able to click in first-class cricket. His 9 and 41 in St Lucia left him in doubt for the three-Test series against New Zealand, although chief selector Sandeep Patil picked him and urged the team management to give him a long run. Rohit also failed in the Duleep Trophy and in the warm-up tie against the Kiwis in Delhi.
