Here’s the elephant in the room – KL Rahul, has looked off-colour.  He came into the World Cup on the back of consecutive fifties, started off in the two practice matches with another two fifties, but come the big games, has struggled to find any timing. With India now entering a virtual knockout zone, how long is a long rope?

He is a fantastic player. He has a proven track record. He has done really well. I think he has been batting superbly.” Rahul Dravid, the Indian Head Coach absolutely firm in his backing of the other Rahul.

“T20 games are tough. It has been challenging for the top-order batsmen in this World Cup. In the practice games against Australia against Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, he batted superbly to get a 50 or 60. He has been playing really well. Hoping it clicks together in the next 3-4 games. We know his quality and his ability and he is well suited for these conditions and pitches. He has a good all-round game and a good back-foot game which is needed in these conditions.”

Against Pakistan, he chopped one on. Against the Dutch, he missed a full one and was struck on his pads. Against South Africa, he poked it to slip. The one running theme through all three dismissals was tentativeness. This wasn’t the usual Rahul. But Dravid isn’t worried.

“Both in words and in action, KL knows he has our support. There has been a lot of clarity in terms of what our side is going to be coming into this tournament. We haven’t wavered from that. He has had phases where he has been injured. The great thing about Rohit is that he has shown that belief in the players.

“In these conditions, we are able to afford him time. We completely back him. When he gets going, I know the impact this guy can make. In Rohit and my mind, there is absolutely no doubt about who is going to open for us. Playing in different parts of Australia, the pitches and the boundaries are different. It is a unique part of playing in this country. Game to game you have to adapt and adjust to the conditions. It is about adapting and being smart.”

The other dilemma in front of the Indian think-tank now is the fitness of Dinesh Karthik, the dedicated finisher, who suffered a back spasm while trying to jump and collect a bouncer against South Africa on Sunday (October 30, 2022). What adds to this worry is DK’s lack of runs, or perhaps the lack of opportunities. With Rishabh Pant knocking on the door, and given his superlative record in Australia in the other formats, Karthik’s case is getting tricky. Dravid, again, was sternly in support of the senior pro.

He has pulled up well today. He had a spasm after looking to collect a bouncer and he landed badly on his back. But he has pulled up pretty well today. He has come to training and we are assessing it. We will see how he pulls out in the morning tomorrow after putting him through his paces,” he said.

“It is tough to assess how DK has gone because he doesn’t get to play too many games. He got one ball against Pakistan, didn’t bat against Netherlands. I thought he batted well will Surya building up a good partnership. It was set up for him but that is the nature of this game. You know, you play that high risk shot and you can get out on that shot. That is why people need to be supported and backed in these formats as much as you can. Batting at five and six, you don’t get enough balls. You have to deliver high risk shots. Our job is to back these players, because come the right time, they can deliver those shots for us.”

Again, just to reiterate, India potentially have four games left, and THEY HAVE TO WIN THEM ALL. Since the last T20 World Cup, Rohit and Co. have picked their players, and have stuck with them. Let’s hope they come good. Oh they better come good. This 15-year wait cannot get longer.