It's hard for Rahul to sit out: Bangar

KL Rahul was dropped from the third Test after the Indian team management decided to go for the opening combination of Murali Vijay and the returning Shikhar Dhawan. Assistant coach Sanjay Bangar acknowledged that it could be hard for the benched player but said they had to pick the pair keeping in mind the opposition.

Dhawan, who had missed out the last Test due to personal reasons, replaced Rahul. With all openers in form, Bangar conceded that it has made selection tough for them. "It (the change) does affect rhythm. It is hard on some players that they have to miss out but it is the dilemma of the selection. The players understand these things. You need to consider the combination of the opposition attack and think if a left-right combination can counter it better when you pick the final XI," said Bangar.

"Team management is very clear that it is basically the form of the player. And because we are so spoilt for choices, everybody is batting well and whoever is getting that opportunity is making it count. Let's not forget that even cricketers have a life wherein so much cricket is being played, and some players want to take a break for a very personal reason, you need to appreciate that and to keep that at the back of our mind."

Bangar also backed Ajinkya Rahane who is having a poor run. "He would be disappointed in the manner he got out. He is somebody who works hard on his game. May be last match and this match, he erred in shot selection. He is a quality player and has the ability to bounce back quickly.

India has been regularly building big partnerships. Reflecting on that, Bangar said, "It comes down to ownership. That's the onus batsmen have taken upon themselves. The number of big scores that we have had is purely because they understand the responsibility taking into account that team is a batsman short and how somebody who is set can make big contribution to the team and get a decisive result in the Test match."

On the job of the coach, Bangar explained, "I think a coach should be consistent as to how he interacts with a particular player. Every player wants to work on certain aspect of his game and raise the bar. Irrespective of a player's form, our preparation for all players is similar."