 "IND vs ENG 2024 Tests: Who will be India's wicket-keeper batter vs England?")
The question of who should keep wickets for India in Test cricket is a never-ending, perennial. It pops up when the team tours and it does again when they return to India. The question has become more pertinent since Rishabh Pant’s injury, as India wants to accommodate an extra batter by making KL Rahul keep wickets instead of KS Bharat.
As Ishan Kishan is out of the question with him being unavailable for selection, the question is just between the two Ks- Baharat and Rahul, until and unless the management wants to give Dhruv Juerl a go at international cricket very early on his career.
Why could Bharat be picked?
The problem with Bahrat not being picked as keeper is his inability to bat well and in the same template as someone like Rahul or Pant. However, to make amends, the Andhra wicket-keeper batter smashed a fifty and a hundred against the touring England Lions in a two-day practice and four-day First-Class match, respectively.
The runs came quickly for Bahrat as he hit 64 off just 69 balls in the two-day practice match against the Lions, while his century came at a strike rate of 70.
With keeping, there has been no issue as far as Bahart is concerned, as he has one of the finest records in First-Class cricket. In just 94 matches, the 30-year-old has 315 catches and 37 stumpings to his name. Among recent Indian wicket-keepers, he is only behind Wriddhiman Saha and MS Dhoni regarding stumpings, a clear indication of how good he is behind the wickets to spin bowlers.
Bharat averages 37 in First-Class matches, most of which have been played in Indian conditions and also has 10 centuries to his name. It is good enough to keep wickets and play at number seven.
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Who is the better keeper between Bharat and Rahul
Rahul played as a recognized wicket-keeper batter in only the two Tests against South Africa. He took nine catches but faced a bit of difficulty while keeping to Ashwin. With wickets turning hugely in India, it will be difficult for him to keep against three spinners in India playing 11.
Though Rahul had 17 dismissals, the most by any wicket-keeper in and ODI World Cup in 2023, even in that, he had only one dismissal to his name and did not keep much against turn and bounce. Rahul only has nine catches and no stumpings to his name. On the other hand, Bharat has shown his skills as an established wicket-keeper even in Tests with 12 catches and one stumping in five matches.
Who between Rahul and Bharat could bat with the lower order better?
Though Bharat has improved his batting at the First-Class level, he was not very good in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. With just 129 runs in six innings over four Tests at an average of 18.42, he had a dismal showing with the bat and was not able to bat with the tail.
Rahul on the other hand has not batted in the lower order much either. But as a batter, his ability to play with the tail is evident in limited-over cricket. Batting at number six, he even hit a century against South Africa while batting with the tail only. Thus when it comes to batting with tailenders, Rahul will be preferred over Bharat because of proven records.
If Bharat plays, will Rahul also play?
If we assume that since Bharat is in good nick with the bat and the best option behind the stumps, he will feature in the Indian playing 11 as the wicket-keeper batter, then will KL Rahul also fit in?
The answer is yes, as Rahul showed class in his century at Centurion and established faith in the team management that he is the right man to bet on at number five. But he will face a battle for the position alongside Shreyas Iyer as India will all likely go with three spinners and two pacers. Thus, only five batters would be able to make it alongside Bharat.
Iyer was not impressive in South Africa, but so wasn’t Shubman Gill. But the problem with Gill playing and Iyer not is that Gill will bat at three, and Iyer can’t do that. Nobody else could in the Indian squad, and thus, Iyer would have to sit back, and both Rahul and Bharat could get a chance to play alongside each other, with Bharat keeping wickets.