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'KL Rahul Will Really Solve Lot of Problems Until ...': Manjrekar Backs LSG Captain as India's Test Keeper

image-litxtg2vSrikar Bharat has played five Test for India [Source: Twitter]

 Ever since Rishabh Pant's absence from India's Test side, the search for a wicketkeeper-batter is underway. While Indian management has tried Srikar Bharat, his form with the bat has not looked promising, despite his top-notch skills behind the stumps. 

In the recently concluded ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2023 against Australia, Bharat scored 5 and 23 runs in both innings but shined with the glove-work as India lost the encounter by 209 runs.

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar believes that India could look at white-ball keeper KL Rahul as their man behind the stumps in Test cricket as well until Pant comes back. Manjrekar had backed Ishan Kishan to play in WTC Final ahead of Bharat as a more attacking option. 

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, the cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted that Bharat's weakness as a batter. 

Here's what Manjrekar said

"I thought his keeping was pretty impressive. he surprised me in the way he was keeping to pace bowlers but these days you've got to be a good batter as well. And his batting, of what I saw in India and now as well, doesn't convince me as (someone) who's got something special. It's not so much about KS Bharat and how he's done."

The 57-year-old further explained why Rahul can act as a substitute for Pant in Test cricket. 

In the 47 Tests that Rahul has played, he has yet to play as a designated keeper, while has donned the keeper's hat 18 times in ODIs, and eight in T02Is.

"You've always got to look at options that could make your team better and until Rishabh Pant is fit, you got two options. You've got Ishan Kishan and then KL Rahul, who's bound to get fit soon. You know, because when you look at Test keeping, the kind of standards we see, I mean those standards of Alan Knott & Bob Taylor - those standards are gone and KL Rahul has been a keeper in the past.

KL Rahul ... will really solve a lot of problems until Pant comes in because he'll be batting down the order there's no place at the top anymore for him."

India's next assignment will be against West Indies in July when they tour the Caribbean for a 2-Test, 3-ODI and 5-T20I series.