India captain Rohit Sharma, who smashed a match-winning century in Nagpur, was bowled for 32 runs. His partner in crime, KL Rahul, put on another bad performance and was dismissed for 17 runs.
Lyon also dismissed the other two batters, Cheteshwar Pujara and Shreyas Iyer, in the morning session. Pujara was out for a seven-ball duck in his 100th Test, while Iyer was dismissed after scoring four runs in his comeback match after recovering from an injury.
The Indian batters failed to apply themselves on a difficult surface, but it was KL Rahul who received the most criticism on social media for his poor performance.
The 30-year-old was beaten in defence and pinned in front by the Australian veteran. Rahul has struggled for runs in the longest format of the game, but the management is determined to keep giving him chances. All of this while an in-form opener like Shubman Gill sits on the bench, waiting for his chance.
After averaging 17.12 runs per game in the previous calendar year, the Karnataka batter has begun this year on a high note, scoring 37 runs in two innings. Other batters in the lineup haven’t scored as many runs as they’d like, but they haven’t looked as out of place as India’s vice-captain.
Fans and experts are accusing the Rahul Dravid-led management of favoritism because an in-form player is warming the bench while Rahul is getting chances and chances.
People have been calling for Rahul’s exclusion from India’s Test squad for months, but they know that the management is hell-bent on giving him a long rope because of one good season he had a few years ago.
Instead of simply criticising KL Rahul for another disappointing show, the enraged fans destroyed him with sarcasm.
KL Rahul is walking a fine line. If he fails to score in the second innings of the Test, the team management will be under intense pressure to leave him out of the starting lineup.
