India head coach Rahul Dravid on Tuesday stated KL Rahul is not going to be preserving wickets within the five-match Test sequence in opposition to England, and will probably be a toss up between KS Bharat and Dhruv Jurel for the wicketkeeper-batter function. Rahul had saved wickets within the two-match sequence in opposition to South Africa lately, and produced a slightly nimble effort behind the stumps. The sequence in opposition to England begins right here on Thursday.

“Rahul will not be playing as a wicket-keeper in this series and we are clear about that in the selection itself. We have picked two other wicket-keepers and obviously Rahul did a fantastic job for us in South Africa and really played a big part in helping us draw the series,” Dravid stated in a press convention right here.

“But considering five Test matches (against England) and playing in these conditions the selection will be between the two other keepers we have,” he defined.

The nature of pitches in India makes it necessary for a wicketkeeper to face as much as the wickets in opposition to spinners, on this case R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, a job that ought to be assigned to a specialist stumper.

The 31-year-old Bengaluru participant, has been a delegated wicketkeeper solely thrice in his 92 First-Class matches and none of these appearances got here in India.

In that context, it may not have been clever for the staff administration to choose Rahul as wicketkeeper in opposition to England, contemplating the truth that the guests’ ‘Bazball’ type of cricket would possibly simply provide a number of possibilities to the gloveman.

In distinction, Bharat, who stepped in when Rishabh Pant was injured in a automobile accident, has completed fairly effectively within the function, and infrequently attracted plaudits.

Even although he has not likely made a mark with the bat, his efforts behind the wickets can’t be brushed apart — from 91 First-Class matches, of which 82 have been in India, Bharat has amassed 287 catches and 33 stumpings.

Since Jurel remains to be a tad inexperienced behind the ears, Bharat is about to get the nod as wicketkeeper-batter for the sequence in opposition to England.

His unbeaten 116 that helped India A draw the primary unofficial ‘Test’ in opposition to England Lions at Ahmedabad lately too might need boosted his stature within the eyes of the think-tank.

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