'Gautam Gambhir is keen to give KL Rahul a long rope': Ryan ten Doeschate

KL Rahul finds himself in precarious position after poor scores in the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. The 32-year-old scored 0 and 12 in the two innings and his struggles in the middle order played a role in India's collapse in both essays and an eventual 8-wicket loss.

Ahead of the second Test in Pune, India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate stressed KL Rahul enjoys a long rope from the head coach Gautam Gambhir .

“There's a fight for the spot. Sarfaraz [Khan] was brilliant. I went to KL after the last game and asked how many balls you missed and there were none. He's in good space but we'll have to fit in seven there. So yes there's competition,” said the Dutchman.

"Gauti [Gautam Gambhir] is keen to give him a long rope like Sanju [Sanju Samson]. No concerns on KL’s form," he added.

KL Rahul's dismissal in the second innings in Bengaluru came at a point when India had gained momentum, courtesy of a stand between Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant.

Losing Rahul at that stage put the Indian cricket team on the back foot, which led to a batting collapse.

Now, as India look to make their way back into the three-match series, starting with the second Test on October 24 (Thursday), KL Rahul will be keen to make amends.