Can KL Rahul’s Test career survive this latest lean patch?

KL Rahul bounced off forward short-leg Peter Handscomb’s leg to nestle into the hands of wicketkeeper Alex Carey during India’s fourth innings chase at the Kotla, you couldn’t help but feel a little sad for the Bengaluru boy. At a time when everything is falling into place for the team, it’s just not happening for Rahul. Even when he is starting to look good, there’s a slice of bad luck here and there that is bringing about his downfall.In a world where yesterday’s result is the only benchmark, 10 scores of below 25 is absolutely unacceptable. Openers before him, like Mayank Agarwal or Shikhar Dhawan, haven’t survived such lean patches and the management’s decision to stick to Rahul is leading to allegations of “favouritism” by former Indian pacer Venkatesh Prasad and a few others.The BCCI, too, is losing patience and the decision to strip Rahul of vice-captaincy duties for the third Test clearly indicates that the 30-year-old is treading thin ice. The fact that Shubman Gill has been in red-hot form leading up to the Australia series and has been still made to wait has added to the clamour for Rahul’s head.

Indian batting coach Vikram Rathour defended Rahul the other day saying that he has got difficult runs in overseas conditions, but former chairman of selectors Krishnamachari Srikkanth feels it is time to give Rahul a break.“I have tremendous admiration for the class of Rahul, in fact I call him Rolls Royce Rahul... but it is just not happening for him at the moment. If I was the chairman of selectors, I would have gone up to him and told him to take a break for a while,” Srikkanth told TOI.The former India opener says that in the cut-throat world of international cricket, it can happen to anybody, especially an