Former India batting coach Vikram Rathour backed Rinku Singh to play and flourish in Test cricket after excelling in the T20I team as he has been performing for India as a lower-middle-order batter in the shorter format.
Rinku, 26, played 47 First Class (FC) matches and scored 3,137 runs with a high score of 163 not out and an impressive 54.70 average. He also amassed seven centuries during the process.
Rathour believes that there is “no” technical reason as to why Rinku should not be in action in red-ball cricket, a format he is yet to make his international debut in. The former batting coach also lauded the left-handed batter’s temperament.
"When I see him bat in nets, I can't find any technical reasons why Rinku cannot be a successful Test batter. I understand he has made his name as a terrific finisher in T20 cricket but if you look at his first-class record, he is averaging in high 50s. He is also blessed with a very calm temperament. So all these factors indicate that if given an opportunity, he can develop into a Test cricketer," Rathour told the Press Trust of India (PTI).
Rathour then talked about his time with former head coach Rahul Dravid, who left the Indian cricket team after his T20 World Cup triumph, revealing a conversation where the two discussed making big chances in batting in the shorter format.
"Rahul [Dravid] is the best coach that I have worked with, who gives you lots of space to work, is open to suggestions and will provide you an honest feedback. One of the first discussions we had was about changing the batting template in T20 cricket. We agreed that we needed to bring in more intent and aggression in our batting approach," said Rathour.
- Rinku Singh
