Team India batter KL Rahul raised speculation among the Indian fans about having played his final Test as he touched the pitch after the opening Test against New Zealand at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in a Bengaluru. In a video surfaced on social media, the right-handed batter was seen touching the pitch, similar to Sachin Tendulkar's gesture during his final Test.
The Karnataka-born cricketer has come under the scanner after two low scores in Bengaluru against New Zealand. The classy right-hander made 0 and 12, with his score in the 2nd innings especially hurting India as they lost all the momentum after the partnership between Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant.
With Shubman Gill gearing up to return for the Pune Test and Sarfaraz hitting 150 in Bengaluru, Rahul could sit out of the crucial fixture. Meanwhile, below is the video of Rahul's gesture towards the pitch at the Chinnaswamy Stadium:
Here's how netizens have reacted to the clip:
New Zealand register their first win on Indian soil since 1988:
Meanwhile, the Kiwis brought their A game to the fore across facets to earn their first Test win on Indian soil in 36 years. The Kiwis started day two by bowling India out for an embarrassing 46 and built a 356-run lead.
Although the home side fought back by cutting down the deficit without great discomfort, the Black Caps took the opportunity at the right time to bowl India out, setting themselves 107 to win. With the bat, Will Young and Rachin Ravindra starred to fashion an eight-wicket win.