India are set to begin their one of the biggest home assignments in the last few years, along with Australia, against England in Hyderabad on January 25. With five matches set to be played, it will be a long series, one for which both the teams are preparing hard and India have taken the first step by handing the wicketkeeping duties to the regular stumper rather than depending upon KL Rahul, who took the gloves in South Africa but will just play as a specialist batter.
Several reports suggested the same but head coach Rahul Dravid in the press conference confirmed that KL Rahul will indeed be just playing just as a batter and one of KS Bharat or Dhruv Jurel will keep wickets.
“Rahul will not be playing as a wicketkeeper in this series, and we are clear about that in the selection itself. We have picked two other wicketkeepers, and obviously, Rahul did a fantastic job for us in South Africa and really played a big part in helping us draw the series. But considering five Test matches and playing in these conditions, the selection will be between the two other keepers we have,” Dravid said in the press conference two days before the series.
KL Rahul kept wickets in South Africa for the first time in Test cricket and did well, however, with Virat Kohli pulling out of the first two matches, the management will get a chance to play all of him, Rahul and even a specialist wicketkeeper in KS Bharat, who has already played five Tests before.
Bharat has been in more than decent form with the bat for India A against the England Lions scoring a fifty and a hundred and will be looking to continue the same in the Test series as well.
