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Rediff.com  » Cricket » Select Team: Should India bring back Rahul?

Select Team: Should India bring back Rahul?

By Harish Kotian
August 01, 2017 08:29 IST
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Should the right-hander be drafted into the Indian team for the second Test, asks Harish Kotian, in place of Abhinav Mukund who scored 81 in Galle?
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IMAGE: K L Rahul, right, with Captain Virat Kohli in the swimming pool. Photograph: Kind courtesy Virat Kohli/Twitter

With K L Rahul regaining fitness after missing the series opener because of fever, will he be drafted into the team for the second Test?

Both openers -- Shikhar Dhawan and Abhinav Mukund -- fared well in the Galle Test which India won by 304 runs.

Dhawan, called in as the replacement for the injured Murali Vijay for the three Test series, blasted his way to a match winning 190 in the first innings in Galle to make the opening slot his own for the next few games at least.

Left-hander Mukund made a strong case for selection with a brisk 81 in the second innings, also excelling as a close-in fielder.

'It's a massive headache,' Captain Virat Kohli said after the first Test, 'but I guess a good one. You know, eventually guys understand that only two can take the field and at most two or three openers make the squad.'

'It's going to be tough, but it's something that any day you'd like to be in this situation rather than having guys that are not scoring,' the skipper added.

Will Kohli and Coach Ravi Shastri retain the same combination -- Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin , Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya -- or drop Pandya and bring in left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav?

All-rounder Pandya hit a quickfire fifty in his debut Test, but didn't have much to do with the ball.

It is highly unlikely that India could consider bringing in Rohit Sharma or an extra fast bowler, but you never know with K&S.

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Harish Kotian / Rediff.com

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