India wicketkeeper KS Bharat received a warm welcome at his home ground in Visakhapatnam, where the Andhra Pradesh board felicitated him and posters adorned the stadium during the second Test against England. However, Bharat’s performance with the bat fell short of expectations, as he could only muster scores of 6 and 17 in the second Test. This underwhelming display led to him being targeted by fans on social media.
Could KS Bharat’s time in the Indian Test team be drawing to a close? That’s the sentiment amongst many fans, especially after his underwhelming performance in Visakhapatnam during the second Test against England. Bharat, who made his Test debut last year due to Rishabh Pant’s injury, has struggled to make a significant impact with the bat in his seven-match career.
With Pant out injured and Bharat failing to seize his chances, the management might consider giving opportunities to other promising talents like Dhruv Jurel or even Ishan Kishan, despite Kishan’s lack of Ranji game experience this year. If Bharat doesn’t step up soon, his Test career could be in jeopardy. Bharat’s statistics in red-ball international cricket are below average as the India wicketkeeper has scored 221 runs over 12 innings at an average of 20.09 and a strike rate of 52.99, without scoring a single half-century.
The dissatisfaction amongst fans was evident after Bharat’s dismissal in Vizag, where he fell to Rehan Ahmed’s bowling shortly after tea. The sequence leading to his wicket involved three flighted deliveries followed by a shorter ball, which Bharat attempted to pull. However, his off-balance shot resulted in a catch for Ben Stokes at wide mid-on. This dismissal, particularly because it seemed to stem from a batter’s error, has intensified the scrutiny on Bharat’s place in the team, especially with KL Rahul’s anticipated return for the next match in Rajkot.
Bharat’s position as India’s Test wicketkeeper is under question, not only due to his batting woes but also because of his performance behind the stumps, which included eight byes and a dropped chance that did not sit well with supporters. Despite being seen as the ideal specialist for the five-match Test series against England, Bharat’s recent form has led to calls for a reassessment of his role in the Indian Test team.
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