Former India National Cricket Team player Sanjay Manjrekar feels India batter KL Rahul is not fit to open the innings in the first Test against Australia, which starts on November 22 in Perth.

India captain Rohit Sharma has opted out of the game due to the birth of his second child and is likely to return for the second match. The management is trying to push Rahul to the opening slot with Yashasvi Jaiswal.

He scored just 4 and 10 in the two innings for India A in the second unofficial Test against Australia A.

“Don’t open with KL Rahul as he hasn’t set the stage on fire as an opener in Test cricket. I have to feel for him as he is down on confidence, and you don’t see a batter like him opening that batting for the team. I love him because of the talent he has, but there is a need for batters in the top order to set the tempo,” Manjrekar said on ESPNCricinfo.

Since 2022, the right-handed batter has scored 514 runs in 12 Test matches at a below-par average of 25.7, including one hundred and three fifties. He doesn’t have an impressive record in Australia, with just 183 runs from four Tests.

Manjrekar urged the team management to keep KL Rahul at the No.6 slot. “He is good in the lower order. KL Rahul batted well with a softer Kookaburra ball in South Africa. I feel he will be good to bat with he tailenders.”

Despite his concerning form, Rahul is the favourite to open the innings in Rohit’s absence.