Despite KL Rahul’s poor form in the Bengaluru Test, where he recorded a duck and managed only 12 runs, India head coach Gautam Gambhir has expressed his support for the batter. The match ended with India losing by eight wickets, giving New Zealand a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. With mounting pressure on Rahul to maintain his place in India’s lower middle order, especially after Sarfaraz Khan’s impressive century, Gambhir remains unconcerned about external criticism.
“Social media does not matter one bit,” Gambhir said on Wednesday, downplaying the public discourse around Rahul’s struggles. He emphasized the importance of the team management’s opinion rather than outside noise. “What the team management and leadership group thinks is very important. He is batting really well, had a decent knock in Kanpur (against Bangladesh on a difficult wicket),” Gambhir added.
Acknowledging KL Rahul’s need to perform, Gambhir remained confident in the batter’s abilities. “I am sure he knows that he has to score big runs, and he has the capability to do so. That’s why he has been backed by the team. Ultimately, everyone is judged. International cricket is all about being judged,” Gambhir concluded.
India, entering the match with high confidence due to their strong home record, were stunned by New Zealand’s performance. The conditions in Bengaluru, which favored seam and swing bowling, played a significant role in India’s downfall. Gambhir admitted that the visitors were the superior team in this contest.
Gambhir reflected on the loss, stating, “Cricket, sports are a big leveller. If we have enjoyed days like Kanpur, we had to endure what happened in Bengaluru.” He criticized India’s lack of intent during their innings. “We didn’t show any intention to bat out the remainder of the two and a half days,” he said.
India collapsed for just 46 runs after choosing to bat first, while New Zealand capitalized with a dominant total of 462, featuring a standout century from Rachin Ravindra.
