Indian men’s cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir supported middle order batter KL Rahul, saying it's the team management's opinion that matters and not the criticism that he is facing on social media.
Rahul was dismissed for a duck in the first innings of the opening Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru and made 12 in the second as the hosts lost the game by eight wickets.
But it appears Gambhir is ready to give him a long rope.
"Social media does not matter one bit. What the team management and leadership group thinks is very important. He is batting really well, and had a decent knock in Kanpur (against Bangladesh on a difficult wicket," Gambhir said.
Rahul had managed a 68-run knock in the first innings of the Kanpur Test against Bangladesh.
"I am sure he would be knowing that he has to score big runs and he has capability of scoring runs. That's why he has been backed by the team...Ultimately, everyone is judged. International cricket is all about being judged," Gambhir added.
Nevertheless, Sarfaraz Khan's maiden hundred in the first Test has made the job more difficult for Rahul, and the Karnataka man will look to get his act right in the second match should he play.
New Zealand lead the three-match series following their eight-wicket victory in Bengaluru.
It was a humbling experience for the mighty hosts who entered the series after completing a 2-0 sweep of Bangladesh including winning the Kanpur Test after a majority of the game was affected by rain.
"Cricket is a big leveller. If we have enjoyed days like Kanpur we had to endure what happened in Bengaluru. We didn't show any intention to bat out the remainder of the two and a half days," Gambhir said.
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