Team India's Assistant Coach Abhishek Nayar Backs KL Rahul Ahead Of 2nd Test Against Bangladesh, Says, 'Hopefully We Can Have A Turnaround'

IND vs BAN, 2nd Test: Abhishek Nayar, who is the assistant coach of the Indian team, has come in support of out-of-form batter KL Rahul and has reckoned that his career in the longest format will revive under the guidance of Gautam Gambhir and that he will perform well in the 2nd Test in Kanpur. Rahul, who was on a seven-month break, made a comeback in the longest format in the series opener against Bangladesh at the Chepauk stadium but was not up to the mark as he scored 16 and 22 runs in both innings. Although the struggling batter is a huge part of the team, he was criticized for his performances in Test cricket.

Ahead of this series, KL Rahul also played one match for India A in the recently concluded Duleep Trophy, where he scored 37 runs off 111 balls and was slammed for playing defensively and not stepping up in key moments. But he bounced back during the second innings, where he scored 57 runs off 121 balls and helped the team bounce back after suffering a batting collapse but his efforts went in vain as his team lost the match.

"I think when you are playing for India, inspiration is not something you need. Sometimes, it's just direction. I feel KL is... having spent a little time with him in the last few days. I think he is someone who understands his game very well. Yes, I feel there are times when a player is finding his feet. In South Africa, he played tremendous knocks for India," Abhishek Nayar told reporters in the pre-match press conference.

Also Read: Rishabh Pant slams fan on social media for spreading fake rumours about his potential move to RCB

Ever since he made his Test debut in 2014, KL Rahul has played in 51 matches and has scored 2901 runs at an average of 34.12. As an opener, he has scored 2551 runs, after playing in 75 innings, which includes seven hundreds and 12 half-centuries but his performance as a middle-order batter has been quite inconsistent. While batting at No.3 position, he had scored 88 runs after playing in five innings at a staggering average of 17.60, whereas at No.4 position he had scored 108 runs in two innings at a brilliant average of 54. While batting at No.6 position, he had scored 154 runs under his kitty.

Nayar, who has guided lots of Indian players in their lean patches, revealed that the stats shouldn't be paid much attention to. "Yes, there are times when a player is finding his feet. I feel in South Africa, Rahul played some tremendous knocks for India. We are very hopeful that with the combination of Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir) and myself, we can bring about a turnaround for him," he revealed.

Admitting that coming back to form requires time, Nayar is positive about Rahul's future. "The way he batted in the second innings of the last game showed what we're looking for. Even though we didn't give him much of a chance in the second innings, his approach was promising. I'm confident that going forward, the expectations from him will align with his performances", he concluded.