"They will run out of patience with him" - Robin Uthappa warns Team India star after flop show in IND vs SA 2025 Tests

Former cricketer Robin Uthappa believes fans will soon run out of patience with Team India's senior batter KL Rahul if he has yet another ordinary series. The 33-year-old performed underwhelmingly in the recently concluded two-match home Test series against South Africa, scoring 68 runs across four innings.

Uthappa opined that, despite being a senior member of the Test tea,m Rahul has to play well to keep his spot. He pointed out that it has been a tough journey so far for the wicketkeeper-batter, given how many times his batting position has changed.

Uthappa's comments came during a recent live session on his YouTube channel. He said:

"For whatever reason, KL has had to work through his inconsistencies and moving positions in this Test squad. For me, the fact that he has actually stacked up these kinds of numbers even (after) how much he has been changed around itself is phenomenal. He has had to endure a lot within Test cricket.

"Even as a senior pro, it leaves him in a position of weakness and which is why him performing for his own spot, even though he is a senior pro, is important for his own cricket. I am telling you, one more series of him playing middling series like he has had this one, this has been a poor one, but one more of this, and then they will run out of patience with him,"

Meanwhile, Rahul will lead India in the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa. He was appointed as the stand-in captain, with regular skipper Shubman Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer ruled out due to their respective injuries.

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"They are not a cohesive unit yet" - Robin Uthappa says India's Test team is still a work in progress

During the same video, Robin Uthappa also suggested that India's current Test team didn't look like a "cohesive unit" during the South Africa series. He reckoned that there was a sense of insecurity among the players regarding their places in the side.

Uthappa remarked that head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill will have to provide consistency to the players. The cricketer-turned-commentator remarked:

"You can tell when you look at the squad, even while watching it on television, that they are not a cohesive unit yet; they are a work in progress. They are still finding their feet. There is a lot of insecurity about their own spot, if they are going to be there in the next Test match or not, and which position they are going to be playing in.

"You saw that in the past as well, but the generation of players that played was quite different to this team. This group of players know to play cricket a certain way. They haven't experienced playing cricket another way, and that needs to be developed into them. This team needs a lot more consistency and a lot more surety, and I think Gautam and Shubman are the ones who can provide this for this team."

India are currently placed fifth in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table. They have played nine matches in the cycle and have 52 points along with a point percentage of 48.15.