Overview:
KL Rahul has done well as an opener for India in the longest format and started on a good note against England.
Sunil Gavaskar has lauded KL Rahul, who was unbeaten on 47 in India’s second innings at stumps on Day 3 of the first Test against England in Leeds. The visitors have an overall lead of 96 runs with two days to go in the contest. The 33-year-old has looked confident so far, and his contribution will play a key role in the game’s outcome.
The sub-continent nation has lost Yashasvi Jaiswal (4), and Sai Sudharsan (30), and Rahul’s presence is a must. The right-handed batter had managed 42 runs in the first essay, with India posting 471. The English side was bowled out for 465 in their reply.
“KL Rahul is thrilling to watch. He can play shots from the back foot and front foot. His cover drive is perfect,” Sunil Gavaskar said.
“He is a magnificent player, and I hope he scores 700 in the England series. Rahul is a total team man, and his celebrations are muted. You generally don’t see aggression when he reaches a milestone, as he doesn’t like to show off. The only concern with him is that even he is unaware of his talent,” he added.
His former teammate Cheteshwar Pujara also opined on Rahu’s batting display in red-ball cricket.
“He is a complete Test player and can score big runs. Rahul gets out after settling himself in, which is one area where he needs improvement. He needs to convert his starts into big ones,” Cheteshwar Pujara said.
“People say different things about him, but he doesn’t want to listen to outside noise. He has recently become more calm and composed,” he added.