Abhishek Nayar issues strict warning to KL Rahul over his Test approach

India National Cricket Team assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has sent a huge warning to the 32-year-old batsman KL Rahul over his approach with the bat in Test cricket.

KL Rahul didn't have a great outing in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai. He looked ultra-defensive in the first innings and scored 16 runs off 52 balls. He faced heavy criticism after failing to deliver in the first innings, but he looked significantly better in the second innings, smashing 22 runs off just 19 balls before the decision for declaration was made on Day 3.

The declaration decision didn't go well with several experts, including Aakash Chopra, who slammed the Indian team management for not allowing KL Rahul to spend some extra time in the middle with over two days remaining in the game.

Heading into the second Test match against the Bangla Tigers in Kanpur, KL Rahul will be under tremendous pressure to deliver because the likes of Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel are waiting on the bench to grab an opportunity. The duo were fantastic with the bat in their debut Test series against England earlier in the year. However, the return of the seniors saw both Sarfaraz and Jurel warming the bench.

Talking about KL Rahul ahead of the second Test between India and Bangladesh, the India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar said that the batter doesn't need any extra motivation to do well and he knows his game very well.

"I think when you are playing for India, inspiration is not something you need. Sometimes, it's just direction. I feel KL is... having spent a little time with him in the last few days. I think he is someone who understands his game very well. Yes, I feel there are times when a player is finding his feet. In South Africa, he played tremendous knocks for India," Abhishek Nayar told the media on the eve of the 2nd Test in Kanpur.

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Abhishek Nayar Aims To Bring The Best Out Of KL Rahul

Abhishek Nayar further said that he, alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir, is trying their level best to use KL Rahul to the fullest of his potential and bring the best out of him.

"We are very hopeful that with the combination of Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir) and myself, we can bring about a turnaround for him," Nayar said.

Abhishek Nayar also strictly sent a message to KL Rahul, saying that the positive approach that he adopted in the second innings against Bangladesh is the one that the team management wants him to follow. He said:

"The way he batted in the second innings of the last game showed what we're looking for. Even though we didn't give him much of a chance in the second innings, his approach was promising. I'm confident that going forward, the expectations from him will align with his performances."

Overall, Rahul has represented India National Cricket Team in 51 Test matches and he has done a decent job so far. In 81 innings that he has batted, Rahul has scored 2901 runs at an average of 34.12. Also, the right-handed batter has 8 tons and 14 fifties to his name.