'India don't have long-term plan...': Gambhir's 'unfair' take on KL Rahul's maiden wicketkeeping assignment in SA Tests

Team India has struggled to find a stable wicketkeeping option in the absence of Rishabh Pant, who continues to recover from the tragic car accident he incurred in December last year. KS Bharat and Ishan Kishan were both tried during the space of last 12 months, but as India now head for the all-important Test series against South Africa, KL Rahul is certain to don the gloves for the first time ever in his Test career. However, former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir sees no “real challenge” in Rahul's new role in the upcoming assignment and makes a rather “unfair” remark on the whole situation.

KS Bharat emerged as the first-choice keeper for the Border-Gavaskar series earlier in February-March this year by virtue of being Pant's back-up. He was also part of the World Test Championship final in June. But with Bharat not getting a fifty during his run, Ishan was picked as the first-choice keeper for the West Indies series, where he performed impressively both with the gloves and as a batter. The 25-year-old hence should have retained his role for the South Africa series as well, but opted out of the tour citing “personal reasons”. And although Bharat was named as Ishan's replacement, with Rahul already part of the squad as a back-up option naturally gets elevated to being the primary-choice option.

ALSO READ: 'Mental fatigue' prompted Ishan Kishan to skip South Africa Test series as India star takes 'break from cricket': Report

Speaking to Star Sports ahead of the two-match Test series that begins from December 26 onwards in Centurion, Gambhir hopes that it does not turn out to be a one-off series for Rahul as a wicketkeeper, hinting that he wants to see him din the gloves in the home series against England in February, which he feels would be the “real challenge” for 31-year-old. Gambhir also admitted that while India do not have a long-term wicket keeping plan in Test cricket, Rahul being assigned for the South Africa series was a right call before Pant makes a return later in 2024.

“I hope this is not a one-off situation because that would be unfair. His real challenge will not be wicketkeeping in South Africa, but on rank turners, in that five Test match series against England when Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar will be bowling. No challenge is bigger than that. If you are looking at these two Test matches, then I would rather not play him because I would look at long-term plans, and India don't have a long-term plan right now because you only have KS Bharat and Rahul now. But probably it is the right way of going about things in allowing KL Rahul do the job until Rishabh Pant returns,” he said.

The South Africa series will be India's second assignment in the new WTC cycle. They had whitewashed West Indies earlier in August in a two-match contest.