'Very difficult decision to make' - KL Rahul on who'll bat at number five in South Africa Tests

Team India faces a massive selection dilemma ahead of the first Test against South Africa at the SuperSport Park in Centurion, which gets underway on December 26. Quite interestingly, the visiting team faces the problem of plenty despite missing out several players due to injuries. The biggest headache would be picking the number-five batter for the Boxing Day clash.

Former vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has been batting at the position in recent years. However, he has been woefully short of runs lately and many have even questioned his place in the playing XI. Hanuma Vihari an Shreyas Iyer are the other two batters fighting for that slot. While Vihari has been around the Test team since the last couple of years, Iyer slammed a staggering century on his Test debut against New Zealand last month.

Hence, it will be interesting to see who’ll make to the initial line-up. Speaking on the matter, India’s new vice-captain in the longest format, KL Rahul admitted the decision would be difficult to make. He also said the team management is yet to finalize the playing XI.

Shreyas Iyer has taken his chances: KL Rahul

“It is a very difficult decision to make, obviously. Ajinkya has been a very important part of our Test team and he has played very crucial knocks in his career. In the last 15-18 months, if I can think back, his knock in Melbourne was really crucial and helped us win a Test match,” said Rahul in the virtual press conference.

“That partnership with Pujara at Lord’s in the second innings, where he got a fifty, was really important. That ended up in us winning the Test match. So he has been a key player of us in that middle-order,” he added. Rahul also said Shreyas and Vihari have thrown in the hat with their impressive performances.

“Shreyas, obviously, has taken his chances. He played a brilliant knock in Kanpur, got a hundred. So he is very excited and Hanuma (Vihari) has also done well for us. It’s a tough decision but we’ll start having the chat probably today or tomorrow. You’ll get to know in a couple of days’ time,” he added.