Under-fire KL Rahul finds comfort after head coach Gambhir backs him ahead of second Test against NZ

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], October 23 (ANI): Under-fire KL Rahul found a moment of solace after India head coach Gautam Gambhir backed him ahead of the second Test against New Zealand in Pune.

Rahul looked out of his depths in the opening Test against the Kiwis under overcast conditions in Bengaluru. In both innings, New Zealand pacer William O’Rourke had Rahul’s number on both occasions.

The sub-par performance from Rahul invited criticism from fans and experts. Apart from criticism, Rahul’s position in the playing XI looked in jeopardy.

However, Gambhir came out in Rahul’s defence and backed the experienced batter by stating that social media won’t influence the decision. He even praised Rahul for his well-poised 68(43) against Bangladesh in Kanpur during the second Test.

“Social media doesn’t matter one bit. You don’t pick players based on social media, even what the experts are saying or think. It is important to what team management thinks and what the leadership group. International cricket is all about being judged. He has had a decent knock in Kanpur in difficult conditions. Yes, he wants to score big runs, and that is why he is being backed by the team management,” Gambhir said in the pre-match press conference on Thursday.

In the opening match, India players were tested to their limits after being bowled out on 46 in the first innings. In the remaining days, the hosts strived hard to make up for a horror show in the first innings, but eventually, the Black Caps chased down their victory with relative ease on Sunday.

The 8-wicket victory propelled them from sixth to fourth in the updated standings, with a win-loss percentage of 44.44 per cent.

Despite suffering a defeat, India remains at the top of the standings. The loss has somewhat weakened their hold on a place in next year’s final, as their percentage drops to 68.06 per cent ahead of two more Tests against New Zealand and a five-match series with Australia at the end of the year.