KL Rahul's return to Test cricket after nearly seven months proved to be an underwhelming affair. An injury sidelined him during the Test series against England earlier this year, and Rahul made his red-ball comeback last month when he played in the first round of the Duleep Trophy. However, a report from Telegraph has suggested that the Indian team management remains unimpressed with his performances in the longest format since his return.

The concerns surrounding Rahul's batting approach have long been addressed, and it seems this long-standing issue is now coming back to haunt the star batter.

In his sole Duleep Trophy outing, Rahul managed a laboured 37 runs off 111 deliveries in the first innings, drawing criticism for his indecision in crucial moments and his reluctance to play attacking strokes. This hesitancy to keep the scoreboard ticking raised eyebrows. He somewhat redeemed himself with a patient 57 runs off 121 balls in the second innings, where his primary task was to stay at the crease amidst a batting collapse; it would have been detrimental to lose his wicket attempting an attacking shot during a difficult 276-run chase.

But Rahul's struggles continued in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai, where he never looked confident during his stay at the crease. Arriving at a time when India needed a strong partnership following a top-order collapse, the 32-year-old faced 52 deliveries for just 16 runs. This lack of assertiveness and his inability to capitalise on the situation invited strong criticism from fans and experts, who were left questioning his mindset and approach to batting in high-pressure scenarios.

Though Rahul later played an attacking cameo, scoring an unbeaten 22 runs off 19 balls as India required a quick end to the second innings before declaration, the lingering doubts about his overall form remain a significant concern for the team.

A BCCI official has now told theTelegraph there is a sense that Rahul looked to be in “kind of a shell”, especially in the first innings.

“That was not just in Chennai, but in this year’s Duleep Trophy too,” the official said further.

Rahul was picked in the team alongside Sarfaraz Khan, who is the prime contender for no.6 role. Sarfaraz enjoyed an impressive debut after Rahul's injury during the series against England earlier this year, and with a long Test season coming up, the youngster might count on his chance to make a return to the XI if Rahul's struggles continue.

Second Test begins Friday

India will take on Bangladesh in their second and final Test of the series from Friday in Kanpur. Rohit Sharma's men will look to seal a clean-sweep series win; most senior players, likely including Rahul, will then be on a break as India play a T20I series against Bangladesh before returning for the Tests against New Zealand next month.

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