India suffered a shock loss at the hands of New Zealand on the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday, courtesy a crushing 8-wicket win for the visitors. Local favourite KL Rahul had one of his worst outings when batting and was back with a duck and just 12 runs in two innings. Conversely, on the other side of the coin, Sarfaraz Khan, who walked back for a duck in first innings dismissal, came out to play a chivalrous innings later on as he drove in a crucial 150 to keep India in the game.

Shubman Gill, who was out of the first game with a stiff neck, will return for the second Test in good shape and could be fit enough for the playing XI, again putting India in a quandary about whether to retain KL Rahul or give Sarfaraz another go, especially after his impressive knock.

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Former Indian opener Parthiv Patel too opined on the possible scenario, saying that even though Sarfaraz had a good game, the team could again decide to play KL Rahul. “The question will be whether Sarfaraz Khan will get to play or they will go with KL Rahul. I would still play KL Rahul, given how much faith the team has shown in him recently,” said Patel.

KL Rahul, who normally bats higher up in the order, batted at No. 6 in both innings of the Bengaluru Test, with Virat Kohli at No. 3. Patel felt that if the team wanted Rahul to bat at No. 3, then they could have put him there much earlier.

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While needing Sarfaraz to score 150 was a big ask, Patel believed there was also some sort of competition between bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep. “Sure, there will be pressure on KL Rahul, but I’d still take him,” Parthiv Patel concluded.