New Delhi: Former Indian cricketer Venkatesh Prasad took to Twitter Monday to disabuse fans of the view that Test opener and former vice-captain K.L. Rahul has an “outstanding overseas Test record”.
“But stats speak otherwise,” the medium-fast bowler wrote, adding that the beleaguered batsman’s overseas average was only 30, much less than his less-hallowed opening compatriots.
“[Rahul] has a test avg of 30 overseas in 56 innings. He has scored 6 overseas centuries but followed it up with a string of low scores that’s why averaging 30,” Prasad tweeted, comparing his batting statistics with his peers, who have opened the batting for India ever since Rahul’s debut in 2014.
There is a view that KL Rahul has an outstanding overseas Test record. But stats speak otherwise. He has a test avg of 30 overseas in 56 innings. He has scored 6 overseas centuries but followed it up with a string of low scores that’s why averaging 30. Let’s look at a few others pic.twitter.com/MAvHM01TcY
— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) February 20, 2023
Prasad then singled out the batting records of Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill and Ajinkya Rahane.
Dhawan played 34 Test matches for India at the top of the order from 2013 to 2018 and averaged 39 away from home, including hundreds in Sri Lanka and New Zealand, but lacked consistency, Prasad tweeted.
At 37, Gill’s average from 14 innings away from home in his young Test career also ranks higher than Rahul’s from 56 innings, Prasad added.
Prasad then changed the topic to performances at home when talking about Mayank Agarwal, as the latter averages 69 in Tests held in India but less than 26 in Tests held overseas.
Prasad also used middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane’s record as a measure of criticism against Rahul. “[Rahane] despite being out of form and also inconsistent before being dropped had one of the best overseas Test record, averaging over 40 overseas in 50 test matches,” he tweeted.
The former Indian cricketer’s Twitter thread came a day after India chased down a modest target of 114 set by Australia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. While the all-rounder trio of R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel put in India’s best performances across the three days, Rahul had a difficult time with the bat, scoring just 17 and 1 before being dismissed by Australia’s senior spinner Nathan Lyon on both occasions.
Prasad has received praise from some quarters on social media for relentlessly arguing his point against Rahul’s continued selection, while others have said Prasad’s remarks amount to cyber-bullying.
A few people thinking i have something personal against KL Rahul. Infact it is the opposite. I wish well for him and playing him in such form was never going to enhance his confidence. For him to earn his place back in Test cricket, now that the domestic season has ended, cont.
— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) February 19, 2023
Prasad addressed his critics Sunday, prior to posting his stats-based thread, reiterating that he did not have any personal bias against Rahul. The solution for Rahul, according to Prasad, is to either silence critics by performing well in the next Test or spending the summer playing county cricket. “But will it be possible to skip the IPL?” Prasad asked.
Rahul has since been relieved of his duties as vice-captain of India’s Test team but has retained his place in the squad for the remaining two Tests in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series, to be held in Indore and Ahmedabad. A replacement for vice-captain is yet to be named.