India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik has said that while it wouldn't have made much sense for the Indian team management to protect Virat Kohli and send him in at No. 3 in the absence of Shubman Gill, it would have been better had KL Rahul been promoted to the slot. India's batting faltered massively on Day 2 of the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru, raising questions on several decisions.
Kohli (0) walked in at the rather unfamiliar No. 3 slot, but his stay was snapped after nine deliveries. Since his dismissal, it has become a talking point as to whether it was the right decision from the Indian team management to send him to a different position than usual.
Karthik said that Kohli is best suited to No. 4 but having played at No. 3 in ODIs for decades and opened batting in T20Is, it wouldn't have been a very tough proposition for him.
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"I am not protecting Virat Kohli. He has the temperament and technique of some of the greatest batters that have ever played. If I make a change, it is because I believe that player will do well there, not because I want to protect Virat Kohli," Karthik said while speaking on Cricbuzz.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgYAjSLFU4k
"Commendable on Virat Kohli also, he could have easily said, 'No, let me bat at four, because you can put KL Rahul or Sarfaraz Khan at three.' The coach would have said, 'Fine, I will manage that conversation.' The fact that he said, 'No, I am happy to go at three,' tells you the mindset," Karthik said.
After India lost skipper Rohit Sharma in the seventh over, Kohli came in at No. 3, after Gill was ruled out of the game with a stiff neck. New Zealand captain Tom Latham introduced William O'Rourke and the pacer netted the big fish as India found themselves at 9/2 in the ninth over.