Farokh Engineer backs KL Rahul as Test wicketkeeper in absence of Rishabh Pant

Former India wicketkeeper Farokh Engineer has backed KL Rahul as the wicketkeeper for Team India in Tests. Farokh Engineer also shared crucial advice for KS Bharat; who is the wicketkeeper for India in the ongoing IND vs ENG Test series.

KL Rahul was backed by the management to play the role of wicketkeeper-batsman in ODIs and T20Is. The right-handed batter also played as a wicketkeeper in ICC ODI World Cup 2023 last year. However, when it comes to Tests, selectors have gone ahead with a specialist keeper like KS Bharat.

Notably, Rishabh Pant held the permanent place of keeper for India in Tests before his car accident in December 2022. However, as the left-handed batter missed the field due to his recovery last year, wicketkeepers like KS Bharat, Ishan Kishan, and KL Rahul emerged in the limelight in Tests.

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KL Rahul has kept wickets quite well: Farokh Engineer

Farokh Engineer, a fabulous wicketkeeper for India in the 60s and 70s, feels that KL Rahul can be a good option to lead the wicketkeeper’s role in Tests. The 85-year-old was recently felicitated at Bombay Gymkhana during an event.

Speaking to media, the former right-handed batter said that KL Rahul has improved his wicketkeeping skills over the years. Hence, he can be a good option to keep the stumps in the red-ball format.

“For a One-Day or T20 game, you could play with a batsman-keeper and get away with it. You know, like KL Rahul. He has improved over the years. He kept wickets quite well. He is not a brilliant wicketkeeper. But what a great, brilliant batsman he is. He is definitely worth his weight in platinum to be in the side and keep wickets,” said Engineer, who played 46 Tests and 5 ODIs for India.

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You got to have your best wicketkeeper in Tests, feels Farokh Engineer

The former Mumbai player Farokh Engineer also added that in Tests, teams need a wicketkeeper who has brilliant skills behind the stumps, unlike white-ball formats. However, he doubted KS Bharat’s selection for the same.

“But (for Tests) You got to have your best wicketkeeper. You got to have wicketkeeper-batsman instead of a batsman-wicketkeeper. Of course, everyone is required to bat these days. In the opinion of selectors, Bharat is a better keeper, is he?” he further said.

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If he just rises slowly, I would prefer that: Farokh Engineer on KS Bharat

The former India keeper also shared a piece of key advice for KS Bharat to improve his skills behind the stumps. He feels that Bharat will benefit from rising slowly with the ball while keeping.

“There are a few areas that I can (think of) straightaway. But you don’t like to tell them, in case they think you are trying to be big-headed. If he just rises slowly, I would prefer that. Once you get up quickly, it is difficult to go down again and you waste that fraction of a second. But if you get up gradually with the ball, then you are… things have got to be ironed out. But (then) he is the best around,” Engineer further said.

Meanwhile, KL Rahul has been dropped from IND vs ENG 2nd Test due to an injury. In the 1st Test, the right-handed batter slammed a stunning 86-run knock in the middle-order. On the other hand, KS Bharat has hit 41, 28, and 17 across three innings in the IND vs ENG Test series. Notably, Bharat is yet to score his first half-century in Tests. He has featured in only 7 Tests since his debut last year.