KS Bharat‘s time with the Indian Test team could well be up amid reports that Dhruv Jurel is set to make his debut in the 3rd Test against England. The Indian team management’s faith in KS Bharat might just be starting to shake as the wicketkeeper is all set to be replaced by the young Dhruv Jurel in the playing 11 for the Rajkot Test.
KS Bharat has taken up India’s wicketkeeping role since Rishabh Pant’s injury and while he is a pretty safe bet with the gloves, his batting has been far from convincing. In 7 Tests, Bharat hasn’t scored a single half-century and his vulnerability against quality bowling attacks has borderline reduced him to a walking wicket.
To be played in Indian condition, where the pitches are mostly conducive for spin attack , the Indian team selectors led by former Indian pacer Ajit Agarkar , decided to form a team which comprises of four specialist spinners. However sparks and buzz grew further when in addition to already present KL Rahul selected KS Bharat and newbie Dhruv Jurel as three wicket keepers for the first two matches ignoring the likes of Ishan Kishan.
Team India’s gloveman KS Bharat underwhelming performance with the bat
First-choice wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is yet to regain fitness after sustaining multiple injuries in the horrific car crash in December 2022. In his absence, KS Bharat and Ishan Kishan have performed keeping duties in the longest format over the last 14 months.
With Kishan being overlooked in the Indian squad since pulling out of the South Africa Test tour last December, KS Bharat got the nod for the first two England Tests. Dhruv Jurel was the other gloveman in the Indian squad for the first two Tests against England.
During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year, Bharat amassed 101 runs across four Tests against Australia. He also featured in the WTC final and returned with scores 5 and 23.
Subsequently, Bharat was left out of the playing XI during the tour of West Indies, where Kishan performed the keeping duties in the two-Test series. Bharat didn’t get a chance during the recent tour of South Africa too as KL Rahul kept wickets for the first time in Test cricket.
Given a chance in the Indian team for the first two test matches versus England ,KS Bharat has failed to live up to the expectations, registering scores of 41, 28, 17 and 6 in the first two Tests in Hyderabad and Vizag.
As India prepares for the third Test against England in Rajkot, the spotlight is on wicket-keeper K S Bharat. KS Bharat’s performance behind the stumps has been on point and one commentator hailed him along with England ‘keeper Ben Foakes for their ‘keeping. It’s Bharat’s batting that is in focus.
Dhruv Jurel, a surprise inclusion in India’s team for the first two Tests, has been making waves with impressive domestic performances. The 22-year-old Uttar Pradesh player, known for his finishing abilities, has been on the selectors’ radar for the wicket-keeping role in Tests. The Rajasthan Royals player has showcased his talent in various formats, scoring 790 runs in 15 matches at an average of 46. His recent contributions in domestic cricket and the India A tour of South Africa have bolstered his case for a Test debut.
Team India glovesman KS Bharat has been under the scanners following his underwhelming show with the bat in the first two Tests against England. Bharat was picked as a specialist wicketkeeper but he failed to impress with the bat in crunch situations, meanwhile, his wicketkeeping was also under-par on a few occasions. Former England skipper now commentator Michael Atherton hinted at KS Bharat being dropped at Rajkot due to his poor performance with the bat.
Michael Atherton on KS Bharat’s underwhelming performance with the bat
Former England captain Michael Atherton has pointed out that India wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat has failed to deliver with the willow amid uncertainty over his place in the team, ahead of the third Test in Rajkot, which starts on February 15.
The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that Bharat looked ‘tentative’ during the second innings for India in the previous Test at Visakhapatnam. The 55-year-old, however, lauded Bharat for his excellent wicketkeeping in the first two Tests.
Atherton told Sky Cricket:
“I think he’s kept really well [on KS Bharat] and one of the highlights of the two games, the keepers on both teams, Ben Foakes, obviously, been outstanding for England.”
“Bharat has kept well for India, but he’s scored the runs. He did look a bit tentative in that second innings at Vishakhapatnam when India were kind of ahead of the game,” he added.
For the unversed, Bharat has returned with scores of 41 (81), 28 (59), 17 (23), and 6 (28) in the first two Tests against England. With 92 runs in four innings, he has scored more than India captain Rohit Sharma (90) and his English counterpart Ben Foakes (80).
Atherton further pointed out that the new World No.1 Test bowler Jasprit Bumrah will once again prove crucial for the hosts on a traditional batting-friendly pitch in Rajkot. He believes that the speedster would only be rested after the third Test:
“Rajkot has a reputation for being one of the flatter pitches, doesn’t it? Only had a couple of Test matches and I think there have been nine individual hundreds scored in those two Tests,” he said.
“High-scoring games… three England batters getting hundreds. On that basis, that’s actually when you want your cracker-jack bowler [Bumrah] who can open up a game if the conditions are flat,” Atherton added.
During their last Test in Rajkot (2016), four England batters – Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali and, Sir Alastair Cook – scored centuries. For India, Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara crossed the three-figure mark as the match ended in a draw.
Jasprit Bumrah, meanwhile, has bagged 15 wickets, including nine wickets at Visakhapatnam, in the first two Tests of the series. He will now look to continue his sublime form against the visitors.
With the series tied 1-1, both India and England will now be keen to take a lead in the five-match Test series by winning the third test at Rajkot starting 15th February 2024.