Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa fired a big warning KL Rahul over his inconsistent performances in Test cricket. This comes after the latter had a forgettable series against South Africa and only managed to score 68 runs in four innings. He maintained an average of just 17 as the South Africa bowlers got rid of him for cheap on all the occasions.
Rahul had come into the series after giving great performance against both England and West Indies, but wasn't able to maintain a similar kind of form this time around. Uthappa feels that if Rahul doesn't stay consistent in the format, then he may very well get dropped by the selectors.
"Even as a senior pro, it leaves him in a position of weakness and which is why him performing for his own spot, even though he is a senior pro, is important for his own cricket. I am telling you, one more series of him playing middling series like he has had this one, this has been a poor one, but one more of this, and then they will run out of patience with him," Uthappa said on his YouTube channel.
"For whatever reason, KL has had to work through his inconsistencies and moving positions in this Test squad. For me, the fact that he has actually stacked up these kinds of numbers even (after) how much he has been changed around itself is phenomenal. He has had to endure a lot within Test cricket," he added.
Rahul's numbers in Test cricket
Rahul has played a total of 67 Tests so far, scoring 4053 runs and maintaining an average of 35.86. With 11 centuries and 20 half-centuries under his name, the 33-year-old has been a regular ever since the captaincy changed from Rohit Sharma to Shubman Gill. He is currently the most experienced batter present in India's set-up, but hasn't turned out to be reliable on many occasions.
India to shift focus to white-ball cricket
India's next Test assignment is going to be crucial for Rahul as he will be desperate to get back into form and deliver once again for the team. The Men in Blue currently do not have any scheduled red-ball series as the focus will now be shifting to the shortest format with the T20 World Cup coming up.