KL Rahul Struggles Ahead of Australia Tests, Internet Reacts

KL Rahul's struggles continued in the India A vs Australia A warm-up match, as the star batter was dismissed for just 4 runs in the first innings of the second unofficial Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Rahul, who opened the batting for India A, faced only four balls before being bowled out by pacer Scott Boland, a member of Australia's squad for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series. Rahul’s only contribution was a single boundary, and his early exit has sparked criticism from fans, with some on social media jokingly comparing him to cricket legend Don Bradman, implying that his current form is far from the high standards expected of him.

Alongside Rahul, Bengal's captain Abhimanyu Easwaran also had a disappointing outing, getting out for a duck after facing just three balls, as India A struggled at 65/5 by lunch on Day 1. Easwaran is considered a candidate to replace Rohit Sharma, who may miss the first Test due to personal reasons, and his failure to make an impact has raised further questions about India's opening options.

The India A squad's disappointing performance came after a historic 3-0 loss to New Zealand in the recent Test series. Rahul and Easwaran's inclusion in the India A team was meant to provide game time ahead of the crucial series against Australia, with Rahul likely to partner Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top of the order if Rohit Sharma is unavailable for the Perth Test.

Rahul, who has been primarily playing in the middle order recently, has a solid Test record, including centuries in Australia, South Africa, and England. However, after a poor showing in the New Zealand series, including scores of 0 and 12 in the opening Test, his spot in the team is under scrutiny.