"Keeping in Tests will give KL an opportunity to do something different": Rahul Dravid

“We had discussed with him [Rahul] and he was very confident and was keen on giving it a go,” Dravid said during a media interaction

KL Rahul has always been confident about keeping wickets in Tests and the upcoming series against South Africa will give India’s new gloveman an opportunity to do something different, head coach Rahul Dravid said on Sunday.

With KS Bharat having been found technically inept in terms of batting abilities in traditional format, Indian team management’s other option was Ishan Kishan, who decided to take a ‘mental health’ break. In that sense, Rahul wasn’t just the best choice amongst the troika, but he was also the only viable option in a pressure scenario and on the pacer-friendly tracks here. 

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‘Exciting challenge’

“I see it as an exciting challenge, an opportunity for him to certainly do something different. Obviously, with Ishan not being available this opportunity came up, we had a couple of keepers to choose from and Rahul is one of them. 

“We had discussed with him [Rahul] and he was very confident and was keen on giving it a go,” Dravid said during a media interaction.

While Dravid understood that the challenges of keeping in Tests was entirely different but he trusted the fellow Bangalore man to do a good job.

“We do understand it is not something he has done as often [’keeping in Tests]. But he has been doing it regularly in 50 overs cricket and that takes a lot out of your body. 

Ready to go

“He has prepared well over the last five to six months, he has done a lot of ’keeping,” Dravid said.

While Dravid explained the rationale behind opting Rahul as wicketkeeper, he also dropped hint that there won’t be much spin bowling on this track effectively ruling out Ravichandran Ashwin as second spinner. “This will be a new and exciting challenge for him. I guess one of the things is there’s not going to be that much spin bowling, so that will ease him into the role a little bit, something how it goes and pans out,” the coach said.

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