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Aakash Chopra reckons KL Rahul could have been allowed to score a few more runs before India declared their second innings in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai. He also feels Akash Deep could have been used more with the ball.
Rohit Sharma declared India's second innings on Day 3 at 287/4 when Rahul was unbeaten on a 19-ball 22. The hosts eventually won the game by 280 runs on Sunday, September 22, with five sessions to spare.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that India could have done a couple of things differently in the game.
"One thing is definitely there, which if they turn back and see, they might say whether they could have done differently. I tell you what, could Akash Deep have been given more bowling, that is one thing they will think about," he elaborated (9:45).
"The second thing they would think about is that one-and-a-half days were left, you have won by 280 runs, you didn't give the follow-on as well, you were not falling short of time, there was no rain coming, so could we have allowed KL Rahul to score 60-70 runs?" the former India opener added.
Akash Deep, who registered figures of 2/19 in five overs in Bangladesh's first innings, was given only six overs in the second essay and wasn't given a bowl on Sunday. Rahul, who scored 16 runs in the first innings, wasn't allowed a prolonged hit in the second essay.
"It wouldn't have impacted the overall result of the match" - Aakash Chopra on why KL Rahul should have been allowed to spend more time in the middle
![KL Rahul batted at No. 6 in both innings of the Chennai Test. [P/C: BCCI]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/09/ff477-17270058885135-1920.jpg)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra pointed out that allowing KL Rahul to bat for an additional hour or so wouldn't have changed the game's result.
"Since the option was available, you could have given him the chance, because it wouldn't have impacted the overall result of the match. That is point one. It wouldn't have impacted your workload management. When it was not impacting anything, if a player who was on a 19-ball 22 had played for one to one-and-a-quarter hours, it wouldn't have impacted your health," he said (10:10).
The reputed commentator reminisced about Rahul Dravid's declaration when Sachin Tendulkar was unbeaten on 194 in India's first innings of the 2004 Multan Test against Pakistan.
"When you turn back and see, the road looks clear. Paaji (Sachin Tendulkar) was on 194 when Rahul (Dravid) had declared in Multan. When he (Dravid) also was asked after the match, when the match got over on the fourth evening, he said he wouldn't have declared if he had known," Chopra recalled.
Chopra added that the Karnataka batter should have been thought about as he has been demoted in the batting order as well.
"I am not saying that he (Rahul) was at 195 here but he is KL Rahul and not Sachin Tendulkar. You have pushed him down to No. 6. Proper batters don't play at No. 6. So I felt thinking about him was probably an option. They should have thought about him because it was not impacting the result of the match," he observed.
Chopra concluded by stating that prioritizing the team's interests can also not be an explanation in this case. He added that the team consists of 11 members and does well when everyone performs.
