Australia is the land where K.L. Rahul’s career began. The Karnataka star has had a lot of ups and downs over the past ten years, starting with his Test debut in Melbourne in December 2014. Rahul has witnessed hundreds of noughts, strong limbs, and broken bones.
The batsman is now set for the second Test in Adelaide starting on Friday, December 6, 2024, after scoring crucial runs (26 and 77) in Perth. Rahul was all about the measured response when he spoke to the media on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, in the basement hall of the Adelaide Oval.
However, he gave a cryptic response to the crucial question of whether he will open: “I have been told (about where I will bat), but I have also been told not to share it. You will have to wait for day one (of the Test) or maybe when the captain (Rohit Sharma) comes tomorrow (Thursday).”
Rahul’s decade-long international career has been accompanied by shifting batting positions, from opening to number six: “I just want to be in the playing XI and bat for the team. Early on, when I was asked to bat in different places, it was a challenge mentally. But now that I have played in ODIs and in Test cricket, and all over the place, it has given me an idea as to how I need to manage my innings, especially the start. The first 30-40 balls matter; if I can manage that, then everything else seems like regular batting.”
In the second innings at Perth, Rahul was the calm mentor to Yashasvi Jaiswal. Their 201-run partnership contributed to India’s victory. As Rahul shared the advice that he had learned the trickle-down theory from Murali Vijay. “I shared whatever I have learnt from playing in Australia and facing the new ball. I saw a little bit of myself (in Jaiswal) like when I was here 10 years ago, opening the batting for the first time. A lot of doubts, a lot of nerves. A lot happens in your head. The only thing you can do is slow things, take a few deep breaths and focus on one thing. And that’s what was passed on to me by my then-opening partner Murali Vijay. So I just passed that on to Jaiswal,” Rahul said.
Rahul will also face the pink ball in the upcoming match in Adelaide: “This will be my first pink-ball Test. It is a bit different from the red ball in terms of how well you see and pick the ball from the bowler’s hand. That’s been a challenge. Hopefully by the time the game starts, we will have had enough practice sessions.”
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