India vs. New Zealand 2nd Test: According to Ryan ten Doeschate, India’s assistant coach, KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan are engaged in a selection battle for the second Test match against New Zealand, which begins in Pune on Thursday.

Ten Doeschate further said that while Sarfaraz’s good performance is making a compelling argument for inclusion, India head coach Gautam Gambhir is adamant about sticking with KL Rahul.

Before Thursday’s encounter, all-rounder Washington Sundar’s selection in the team and the health of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant will be crucial as India looks to recover from their first Test eight-wicket thumping.

When questioned by the media whether Rahul and Sarfaraz were fighting for a berth in the squad, ten Doeschate said, “Yeah, there’s no point in sugarcoating it; there’s a fight for a spot,” here at the MCA Stadium before India’s training session.

“In the last Test, Sarfaraz was undoubtedly outstanding. How many balls do you play at (and miss at)? I asked KL after the previous test. He missed at one ball and didn’t play, which is what usually happens when you don’t score runs.

“KL is batting well and is in a good frame of mind, so there are definitely no worries concerning him. However, for this test, we will undoubtedly need to squeeze seven pieces into six spaces. We will then need to assess the field and determine what would be best for the squad,” he said.

Coach Gambhir wants to stick with KL Rahul after his lackluster performance in Bengaluru, but Sarfaraz Khan’s 150 makes a compelling argument for inclusion.

It’s not as though his shape is a concern. Gauti is eager to give him (Rahul) as much leeway as possible, based just on the last three months that he has been here. He commented, “We have a lot of faith in him.”

Sarfaraz scored more than 150 runs (222 not out) in the Irani Trophy final, but it’s also a highly competitive atmosphere. We’ll support all the men, but the team’s best interests will ultimately determine the choice,” he said.