1. Laxman on Rahul
"The greater concern is over KL Rahul. His ability is never under question, and he is no longer a newcomer to Test cricket. He has got numerous opportunities, but he has often flattered to deceive," Laxman wrote in his coloumn in Times of India. Laxman is the latest in a long list of critics who have been demanding consistency from Rahul.
2. Why so much criticsm of Rahul
Rahul made a promising beginning to his Test career going past fifty-mark in several innings. But since then inconsistency has crept into game. His last Test hundred was against Englnad at Oval (149) well over a year. And since that knock, the Karnataka batsman has gone without a fifty in 12 innings. Even prior to that Oval hundred, Rahul went without a fifty in 15 innings.
3. What happened in West Indies
In Antigua, Rahul made 44 and 38 in two innings. There was a good platform for him to make the outings count. But failed to do so. It turned out to be even worse in Sabina Park. He failed to negotiate the line of Jason Holder and pace of Kemar Roach and perished cheaply in both the innings. There was a stubbornness in his approach at Kingston but the time spent at crease and the volume of runs did not match with each other.
4. The road ahead for Rahul
His immediate assignment could be the three-match Test series against South Africa at home beginning on October 2 and he will be playing the white-ball versions prior to it. Rahul perforce need to score runs in this series before the cries for a replacement get shrillier. His place in the squad might not be under immediate threat since Prithvi Shaw is suspended until November for the use of banned substance. But the team management has the option of asking Rohit Sharma, opener in limited over formats, in the series against South Africa, but a bit far fetched at the moment. Veterans Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay too are on the fringes but they need to runs in various compeitions to prove their readiness for Test cricket.