KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan fighting in team India reveals Ryan ten Doeschate

Team India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has opened up about playing XI for the second Test of the three-match series against New Zealand. Ryan ten Doeschate said that KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan are fighting for one spot in the middle order amidst the potential return of Shubman Gill.

Rohit Sharma's team suffered an eight-wicket loss during the first Test match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday, October 20. The home team was bowled out for just 46 runs in their first innings. Notably, it was their lowest total in a Test innings at home and overall third-lowest in history.

KL Rahul Is In Good Space But - Ryan ten Doeschate

Speaking at the press conference, Ryan ten Doeschate said that it is uncertain whether KL Rahul's position is secure, with several players competing for a spot in the playing XI. Doeschate said that Rahul is in a good mental space even though he failed to score runs during the series opener.

"Yeah, there's no point in sugarcoating it, there's a fight for a spot," ten Doeschate told the media at the MCA Stadium ahead of India's training session.

"Sarfaraz was obviously brilliant in the last Test. I went to KL after the last Test (and) said how many balls do you play at (and) miss at? He didn't play at (and) miss at one ball and that's what tends to happen when you're not getting runs."

"There's certainly no concerns about KL, he's batting nicely, he's in a good mental space. But we are certainly going to have to fit seven pieces into six spots for this Test and look at the pitch now and decide what's going to be best for the team," he added.

Sarfaraz Khan and KL Rahul's Performances in Bengaluru Test

Shubman Gill missed the first Test against New Zealand due to neck stiffness. Sarfaraz Khan returned to the playing XI for the series opener. Sarfaraz and KL Rahul were dismissed for a duck in the first innings. However, Sarfaraz scored his maiden century in the second innings, while Rahul added 12 runs.

The Mumbai batter scored 150 runs off 195 balls with the help of 18 boundaries and three sixes. Sarfaraz has had a fantastic start to his Test career for Team India. He scored three fifties in his debut series against England. However, he warmed the bench during the recent Test series against Bangladesh.

We Have A Lot Of Faith In KL Rahul - Ryan ten Doeschate

Ryan ten Doeschate admitted that KL Rahul remains an important figure in the Test format, adding that head coach Gautam Gambhir is eager to give him more opportunities. Ten Doeschate emphasized that the team isn't concerned about Rahul's form, and they have strong faith in his abilities.

"It's not like we're worried about his form. If you go on just the past three months since Gauti has been in here, he's keen to give him (Rahul) as much rope as we can. We have a lot of faith in him," ten Doeschate said.

"But at the same time, it's a very competitive environment, with Sarfaraz getting 150 plus runs (222 not out) in the Irani Trophy final. The decision will be what's best for the team, but we'll certainly back all the guys in," he added.

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