India’s stylish batsman KL Rahul stood out on the second day of the 1st Test against England in Hyderabad, showcasing his resilience and skill with a composed 123-ball 86. Rahul’s innings was a pivotal factor in India’s performance, as he provided stability at the crease and built crucial partnerships.
Reflecting on his innings, Rahul expressed contentment with his performance, saying, “I could have got out on zero, so I will take the 86. Maybe tomorrow I’ll turn up and feel I missed out on a century. But today, I enjoyed being out in the middle.” He acknowledged the challenges posed by the pitch, stating, “We watched England play yesterday and I felt like it wasn’t a wicket where you could wait for the loose balls to come, you had to create some opportunities and try to put the bowlers off their line and length. I was looking for opportunities to score runs.”
Rahul elaborated on his approach, revealing his strategy to assess the conditions and capitalize on scoring opportunities. He said, “I wanted to see where I could get runs. I spoke to Rohit in the morning, and he told me the wicket is a bit slow and you can’t go out there and start playing your shots. So, I just gave myself a bit of time and once I got a few shots going, I was only thinking how I could get runs.”
Zaheer Khan, former India cricketer, commended Rahul’s resurgence, noting his ability to maintain form despite past injury setbacks. Khan said, “If we look at Rahul’s career, he has had a lot of injury concerns. There have been times when he has been injured while hitting peak form and he hasn’t been able to capitalise on this form, something you require in international cricket. But looking at the recent past, with the successful World Cup campaign and the SA series, we can say this is a 2.0 version of Rahul.”
Owais Shah, former England cricketer, praised Rahul’s technique, emphasizing his ability to play with a straight bat and choose his shots judiciously. Shah said, “If we look at his batting, he attempted the sweep shot only four times, whereas most of the English batsmen played the sweep. He played with a straight bat, got his boundaries and singles with straight bat shots. Many say, we should not play KL Rahul, but I would say he is a wonderful batsman and should play regularly.”
Anil Kumble, former India captain, shared insights into India’s strategy, emphasizing the importance of building a substantial lead. Kumble said, “I think these two batters (Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel) will look to stretch the lead to 250. Both of them are good batters and have got a good start. So, I think they would be looking to a lead of 245-250.”
As the match progresses, Rahul’s performance stands as a testament to his skill and determination, shaping India’s position against England in the ongoing Test match in Hyderabad.
