'Wicketkeeper cannot be an opening batter in Tests' - Gautam Gambhir on KL Rahul taking the gloves in longest format

Rishabh Pant hasn’t been in the best of form in the longest format for a while now and his inconsistency with the bat has opened up talks about KL Rahul donning the gloves. The left-hander was well set for a big score but was dismissed for just 26 in the first innings at Newlands. Pant earned a lot of criticism in the previous Test for playing a rash shot that got his dismissal.

Pant’s shot selection has been a big headache for him as he has been stuck at times with two minds of either playing over defensively or going all out for the kill. However. Pant’s match-winning knock at the Gabba last year was something extraordinary and since then he has been able to keep out Wriddhiman Saha from the playing XI. Gautam Gambhir in a discussion with Star Sports opined on a fan’s question of whether Rahul should take the gloves ahead of Pant.

It is next to impossible: Gautam Gambhir

Gambhir was quite sure about the fact that Rahul should not take the keeping gloves if he is an opener in Tests. He explained the difficulties of wicketkeeping in Tests and doesn’t see Rahul being the first choice keeper in the longer format.

“I will just say Rahul as opener, Rahul as keeper. If you see any wicketkeeper, if he keeps for 150 overs and then he has to play the first ball, it is next to impossible. It can work in ODIs and T20Is but you need a regular wicket-keeper in Test matches.” Gambhir answered to the fan’s question.

Meanwhile, Rahul has been India’s best batter so far in the tour to South Africa and he will have to come out with a better performance in the second innings in Cape Town. The vice-captain was dismissed early for just 12 runs leaving India in a spot of bother. The Proteas had the upper hand on day one as they bundled out India for 223.

“Your wicketkeeper cannot be an opening batter in Tests, it can be a one-off case when you don’t have an opener. But it is not a long-term solution. So Rahul as keeper – definitely not, because you want him to score runs against the new ball and he has just started to get into the rhythm of Test cricket.” Gambhir added