Team India captain Rohit Sharma has thrown his weight behind experienced batter KL Rahul and hoped that the “clear message” given to him will help him take his career forward in the longest format.

Rahul’s place in the middle order has been under scrutiny after Sarfaraz Khan performed creditably in the last home series against England.

Rahul showed class while making a hundred against South Africa in Centurion in December 2023 followed by an 86 against England in Hyderabad before missing the rest of the Tests with an injury.

Rohit believes in Rahul’s talent and indicated that he will start in the first Test against Bangladesh from Thursday in Chennai.

“I think with KL, you know, the kind of quality he has, everyone knows about it. The kind of message that has been given to him from our side was very simple: we wanted him to play all games. We want him to bring the best out of him. And it is our duty as well to bring the best out of him,” said Rohit during the pre-match news conference on Tuesday.

“It’s important that we give him that clear message that this is what we expect from you. And I think we have done that,” he added.

Rohit placed immense value in Rahul’s ability to play pace and spin equally well, which makes him an asset at home and away.

“He got 100 in South Africa. He got 80 in that first Test match in Hyderabad and then got injured. Unfortunately, he didn’t play any of the games after that because of that injury. I hope, you know, he continues from where he left in Hyderabad.

“He’s got the game to play the spin, and the seamers. So, I don’t see any reason why, you know, he can’t flourish in Test cricket. Obviously, the opportunities are there now,” he noted.

The captain, however, did not miss the point that it is eventually up to Rahul to make the most of the chances given to him at this level.

“You know, the guy has got talent and it’s important that we give him clear messages every time we get an opportunity to speak to him.

“It’s for him also to understand now how he wants to, you know, take his career forward,” said Rohit.

Workload balance

Rohit said he was aware of the strenuous schedule ahead of the team in the coming months — 10 Tests in 15 weeks — and that there were plans in place to protect the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

“We have laid out some plans on how we are going to manage these bowlers,” Rohit said. “But again, it all depends on the workload that has been carried by them in these games. So yeah, we will monitor that. I think we have done that pretty well. Even when we played against England, we managed to get Bumrah one Test match off. We managed to give Siraj one Test match off.

“So it all depends on how the body feels at that particular time, what the (strength and conditioning) is, and what the physios feel about them, when is the right time to give them a break from the game, and then take the call.”

“We have got a lot of bowlers who are there for us,” he said. “We saw some exciting prospects in the Duleep Trophy as well. I am not too worried about the kind of bowlers that are waiting in the wings for us.”

Time to adjust

This will be the first time Gambhir will be in charge of the Test team and Rohit was confident of adjusting to his ideas. “The staff is new, but I know both Gautam Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar,” Rohit said.

“I have played quite a bit of cricket against Morne Morkel; we’ve played some tough cricket against each other. I’ve also played, maybe a couple of games, against Ryan (ten Doeschate), but the two of us haven’t spoken as much before. From what I experienced with him in Sri Lanka, I think he has a sensible and understanding personality, given the way he quickly started to understand things about the team.

“As for Gambhir and Nayar, like I said, I know them well. Sri Lanka was the first series (with them in charge), and now they are going to play their second series with the team. Everyone has their own style. Rahul (Dravid) bhai, Vikram Rathour, Paras Mhambrey...

“So it’s important to adjust. So far, there have been no problems or issues as a player. Like I said, if there is understanding between both (coaches and players), that’s the most important thing. And we have a good understanding.”