IND vs AUS: KL Rahul was impacted with a Sudden Change in Batting Order - Who is to Blame for it?

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Amid the dismal defeat in Melbourne for team India in the fourth Test, a startling revelation has come to light.

There are reports that KL Rahul was unwilling to bat lower down the order as he felt he was more effective as an opener, but he was forced to go down to no. 3 ahead of the match.

As reported by CricBlogger, there was a conversation between Rahul and a member of the team management ahead of the IND vs AUS Melbourne Test, where Rahul was told that if he wasn't ready to come in at number three, Shubman Gill would replace him in that position.

Faced with this ultimatum, Rahul, who had been in good form until the Melbourne Test, had little choice but to accept the change and bat at number three, which was traditionally Gill's position.

"In the process, Gill was dropped. He could make a comeback soon but just to accommodate a batter who can bowl all these arrangements were carried out," a BCCI source said from Mumbai while adding that it was skipper Rohit Sharma, who pushed Gill to one-down last year in Test cricket to make Jaiswal a regular opener in the longest format of the game.

How was KL Rahul Impacted?

As a result, a demotivated Rahul moved down the order, while the opening pair for India was reshuffled, with Rohit Sharma partnering Jaiswal at the top of the order. This shift in the batting lineup came amidst the pressure of the series, where India's top-order struggles had been a point of concern, and the team management's decision to experiment with the lineup seemed to be a bid to find a more stable combination.

KL Rahul was excellent for the Indian team in the first three matches. He played a gritty knock of 77 in Perth, then scored a superb 84 in Brisbane. Although the player has not been elite, the resilience and determination he showed while opening the batting was admirable. But the sudden change in role took a toll on the 32-year-old, who could only manage 24 across two innings in Melbourne.

Who is to Blame for It?

Rohit Sharma's decision to open the batting was abrupt, sudden and not beneficial for his teammate. And ironically, the India captain failed to revive his own dismal form, scoring just 12 across two innings in Melbourne.

Also, the Indian team management has to be blamed for their lack of clarity on the role of KL Rahul. Despite batting in such a magnificent manner for the first three matches, Rahul getting shifted to a different position took a toll mentally and that reflected at the crease.