Your Wicketkeeper Cannot Be An Opening Batter In Tests – Gautam Gambhir On Possibility Of KL Rahul Keeping Wickets In Tests

Former Indian opening batsman Gautam Gambhir feels that KL Rahul shouldn’t be asked to do wicketkeeping in Test cricket as the opening batter cannot be a wicketkeeper in Tests.

KL Rahul is being looked at only as an opening batsman by the Indian management across all three formats and the wicketkeeping job has been given to Rishabh Pant. However, in the Indian Premier League (IPL) Rahul plays as the wicketkeeper-batsman in the team.

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During a discussion on Star Sports, Gambhir was asked by a fan whether Rahul should be asked to keep wickets in the longest format of the game because of Pant’s inconsistent run with the bat to which he replied by saying that playing the first ball after keeping wickets for 150 overs will be “next to impossible”.

“I will just say Rahul as opener, Rahul as a keeper. If you see any wicketkeeper, if he keeps for 150 overs and then he has to play the first ball, it is next to impossible. It can work in ODIs and T20Is but you need a regular wicket-keeper in Test matches.”

“Your wicketkeeper cannot be an opening batter in Tests, it can be a one-off case when you don’t have an opener. But it is not a long-term solution. So Rahul as keeper – definitely not, because you want him to score runs against the new ball and he has just started to get into the rhythm of Test cricket,” he added.

If You See His Keeping Over The Last 6-7 Months, He Has Done Exceptionally Well – Gautam Gambhir On Rishabh Pant

Former Indian opening batsman Gambhir believes that Pant has done “exceptionally well” for the team as a wicket-keeper for the past few months.

“Why do we talk about Rishabh Pant the batter only? If you see his keeping over the last 6-7 months, he has done exceptionally well. He was not the wicketkeeper at the start that he has become.”

“Earlier we used to say that Rishabh Pant is a batter who can keep and we needed his impact at No.6. But in the last few months, whether it is the turning tracks or South Africa or England, I don’t remember him having missed more than an odd chance” Gambhir further added.

Also Read: IND vs SA: Virat Kohli Left Behind His Ego In The Kit Bag – Gautam Gambhir On Test Captain’s Performance On Day 1 Of The 3rd

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