The Indian vice-captain KL Rahul has said that the Indian team management has not made a decision yet regarding who will bat at no. 5 for India in the first test match against South Africa, which is starting on Sunday at the Supersport Park, Centurion.
Ajinkya Rahane has been India’s designated no. 5 batsman in test match cricket for a long time, but recently he lost his place in the Indian XI after Shreyas Iyer came in and scored a hundred in his very first test match against New Zealand in Kanpur.
Although Iyer failed in the next test match in Mumbai, he is still believed to be the management’s first choice for the no. 5 position. However, what might go in Rahane’s favor is the fact that he has had the prior experience of playing in South Africa and his record in South Africa is quite good as well.
Rahane, in general, is considered a good player of seam bowling anyway and has scored some of the most watchable hundreds for India in extremely tricky conditions in the past few years. With India’s back against the wall at MCG last year, it was Rahane who led the team from the front in Kohli’s absence and laid the foundation of a historic series win with a heroic hundred.
KL Rahul, who has been appointed the vice-captain of India for the South Africa test series in Rohit Sharma’s absence, recalled the knock played by Rahane at MCG and also the one he played at Lord’s on the previous England tour, which helped India set a match-winning fourth innings target.
We will have a chat about it today or tomorrow: KL Rahul
According to KL Rahul, who was talking to the press today, both Rahane and Shreyas Iyer are in contention to bat at no. 5 in the Boxing Day game and apart from them, Hanuma Vihari is also in the frame because of the form he has shown for India A in South Africa recently. The final decision will be made by the team management today or tomorrow.
Hanuma Vihari had got his opportunity in the middle order in Virat Kohli’s absence on the Australia tour, and although he was involved in a match-saving partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin in Sydney, he injured his hamstring in that game and never got another opportunity in the home season.
It might be possible that India goes with an extra specialist batsman if the surface has a lot of grass at Supersport Park and if that turns out to be the case, two out of Rahane, Iyer and Vihari might find themselves in the playing XI.
KL Rahul (in Press) said "Shreyas Iyer has taken his opportunity – Hanuma Vihari has done well for us, Rahane did well in Melbourne and Lord's recently – it's a difficult decision to choose the number 5, we will have chat today or tomorrow".
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