Former India opener Aakash Chopra has questioned the cricket team management for their way of employing star wicket keeper-batsman KL Rahul in the first ODI against England on Thursday. Although he was preferred over Rishabh Pant in the playing XI, he came out to bat at no. 6 since Axar Patel got promoted in Nagpur. He was out cheaply by spinner Adil Rashid, but Chopra feels the senior batter should have let using his own form and style to bat.
“What are we going to do with Rahul? Important conversation-it’s slightly mysterious. Jacob Bethell and Adil Rashid were bowling. So you didn’t send Rahul, okay fine, but you played Rahul ahead of Pant. But then keep faith in Rahul. Because you haven’t done that as of now since there were three games in Sri Lanka-the first tied, lost the second, and dropped him, while Rishabh Pant played the third,” Chopra said in a YouTube video.
Chopra also opined that India could have played both the keepers since Kohli was not in the XI due to injury. He pointed out that just around every format, positions keep switching for Rahul.
Young all-rounder Jacob Bethell stood out with a composed 51 off 64 deliveries as England posted 248 after opting to bat.
Chasing 249, India rode of half-centuries from Shubman Gill (83), Shreyas Iyer (59) and Axar Patel (52) to achieve the target with 11.2 overs to spare.
