KL Rahul’s forgettable outing in the opening Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru won’t threaten his place in the side, at least for the second Test in Pune, as head coach Gautam Gambhir firmly backed the Karnataka right-hander on the eve of the must-win match.

Rahul was one of five batters dismissed for a duck in the first innings, as India collapsed to 46 all out—their third-lowest total in an innings. In the second innings, Rahul was expected to build on India’s lead and set a challenging target for New Zealand, but he was dismissed cheaply for just 12 runs.

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Rahul’s position in the team is under more scrutiny than ever, with Shubman Gill set to return after missing the first Test due to neck stiffness. Adding to the pressure, Sarfaraz Khan, who replaced Gill, scored an impressive 150 in Bengaluru. However, Gambhir has expressed strong support for the batter despite his recent struggles in the longest format.

“You don’t pick players on social media because of social media or for that matter even what the experts are saying. What the team management thinks and what the leadership group thinks is very, very important. Ultimately, everyone is judged,” Gambhir said in the pre-match presser.

“International cricket is all about being judged, to be honest, because everyone’s performance will be judged eventually. But I feel that he [Rahul] is batting really well. Obviously, he has had a decent knock in Kanpur [against Bangladesh] obviously, on a difficult wicket.”

“And obviously, he played according to the plans as well. And I am sure, I think, he would also be knowing that he wants to score big runs and he has that capability of scoring runs. That’s why he has been backed by the team management,” Gambhir explained.

Gambhir and his team face another selection dilemma, having to choose between left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav and off-spin all-rounder Washington Sundar. The latter was initially not part of the squad but was added after India’s defeat in Bengaluru.

“We just felt that probably they [New Zealand] have four or five left-handers in the playing XI. That if we want to have another bowler who can take the ball away from the left-handers, it is always going to be useful for us,” he explained.

Sundar also gives an added batting edge to the Indian side apart from boosting India’s spin department. In his most recent first-class game, Washington Sundar made 152 batting at No.3 for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy.

Gambhir also talked about managing the workload of the fast bowlers and how it remains a priority as India’s next red-ball assignment is the crucial five-Test tour of Australia. Given Jasprit Bumrah’s history of injuries and his crucial role in the team, managing his workload is a priority, especially considering he has played all three of India’s Tests so far this home season.

“Once the [New Zealand Test] series is over, we still have around 10 or 12 days before the Test starts in Australia. So, that’s enough break for our fast bowlers. But we will still monitor after the Test match where Jasprit Bumrah is. But it’s not only about Jasprit Bumrah. It’s about all the fast bowlers. We want to keep them fresh. We know that obviously, we’ve got a long tour and an important tour of Australia,” he said.

“But workload management will definitely depend on what the outcome of this Test match is and how much have they bowled in this Test match,” he added.