KL Rahul - The keen learning Indian top order batsman

KL Rahul – The keen learning Indian top order batsman: Kannaur Lokesh Rahul is a ‘keen learner’. He made big headlines during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2014-15, when he made his debut on the Boxing Day Test Match (the third test match of the four-test series) in Melbourne.

Batting lower down the order, at No 6, he could last only for 8 deliveries and scored 3 runs in the first innings. Promoted to No 3 in the second innings, he could score only 1 run. His debut was a disaster.

However, the fourth and final test of the series played at Sydney had a lot in store. The regular opener, Shikhar Dhawan was dropped and Suresh Raina was drafted into the Playing XI.

The then Team India captain (in all formats), MS Dhoni, had announced his retirement from test matches at the conclusion of Melbourne test and hence the responsibility of leading the team fell on Virat Kohli’s shoulders. Wridhhiman Saha replaced Dhoni in the Playing XI.

Kohli promoted KL Rahul up the order to open the innings along with Murali Vijay. Rahul grabbed the opportunity with both hands and went on to play a stellar innings.

He registered his maiden test century in the very second game that he played.

Rahul, in the first innings, went on to score 110 runs in 262 deliveries with 13 fours and one six in 356-minuite stay at the wicket.

Along with skipper Virat Kohli, the 23-year old Rahul, was engaged in a 141-run partnership for the third-wicket, before falling ‘caught and bowled’ to Mitchell Starc.

Scoring a century in Australian conditions against the bowling attack of the likes of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazzlewood, Nathan Lyon, Ryan Harris, by someone playing only in the second test match, was no mean thing.

Rahul made his First Class debut in the 2010-11 season, playing for Karnataka. He became the first batsman to register a triple century for Karnataka in a first class match. This he achieved on 30 January, 2015, playing against Uttar Pradesh. He notched up 337 runs off 448 deliveries with 47 fours and 4 sixes.

In 38 First Class games, KL Rahul has accumulated 3,319 runs at an average of 53.53 with 337 as his individual best. He has 10 centuries and 12 half-centuries to his credit.

He also got selected to play in the ‘A’ games against the touring Australia A in July 2015. On his being selected for India-A, Rahul said, ‘It was very disappointing to miss out on a Test match (vs Bangladesh) especially when you have just started playing Test cricket. Things like these happen. Now I am looking forward to playing these matches. Last time, I played 4 days cricket was Ranji Trophy. This will be an ideal opportunity as conditions here will test my fitness’.

“It (India A) is a big platform for young players. When we toured Australia for India ‘A’ in mid-June last year, I had a fair idea of pressure as we were playing the best XI from different country. It is completely different pressure from playing Ranji Trophy. These A tours builds character of a player and makes it easy for him in international cricket”.

True to his words, Rahul exhibited exemplary batting skills in the first innings of the first of the two four-day unofficial ‘test’ match between India A and Australia A that was played in Chennai.

Rahul was cautious from the beginning after his team opted to bat. The Karnataka batsman played well but missed out on a century in the first innings. He scored 96 runs off 185 deliveries studded with 14 fours, before being caught by Usman Khawaja off pacer Sean Abbott.

In the process he, alongwith the skipper, Cheteshwar Pujara, put up a partnership of 107 runs for the second wicket.

This ‘A’ encounter provided a great opportunity for KL Rahul to have ‘match practice’ ahead of the series against Sri Lanka.

The month of August 2015 saw India embark on a three-test tour to Sri Lanka under the leadership of Virat Kohli.

The First test at Galle was not very productive for Rahul. He had replaced the injured Murali Vijay and could score only 7 runs in the first innings and 5 runs in the second.

An injury to the regular opener, Shikhar Dhawan gave another opportunity for Rahul to feature in the Playing XI in the second test. He made full use of the opportunity and made a mark.

“It is very disappointing that the shot you love to play the most gets you out a lot. For me it’s a good learning. When I am playing international cricket, playing different speeds and bowlers who are taller and hitting the deck harder, it’s not like first-class cricket”, said the Karnataka youngster.

“So it’s something that I have to work on and discipline myself. It’s my favourite shot and I will not stop playing the shot, so I will discipline myself and get to know what is the right line and length to pull”, he added.

Thus far, Rahul has featured in 5 Tests registering a tally of 256 runs at an average of 25.60 with 110 as his highest score and has 2 centuries to his credit.

With both Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan reporting fit, it may be difficult for this youngster to ‘make the cut’ for the 4-match Test series against the touring South Africans.

In an interview with TOI, Rahul said, “Of course, I have to be more consistent. As an opener, one needs to make sure that you’re building the right foundation for the team. I agree that I did not perform well in a couple of Tests. But I am still a bit new in international cricket and I am taking it in my stride. It is important that I treat successes and failures equally and learn from it to become a better player”.

Explaining the way he got out in Sri Lanka, with the ball crashing onto his stumps, Rahul said, “What exactly happened was that the ball moved and hit the stumps. I’m not thinking too much about it. You do get out in international cricket in different ways and I’ve gotten out like this for the first time in my career”.

Rahul enjoys the confidence of Team India Test captain, Virat Kohli, who has been upbeat about this Karnataka youngster.

About Kohli, Rahul said. “It’s a lot of fun batting with Virat. I enjoy having him around. He brings positivity in the team and the way he approaches each game is wonderful. I get to learn a lot from it. I’ve been a great admirer of his batting”.

An injury post the Sri Lanka tour forced Rahul to miss the first two games in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2015-16 season against Assam and Bengal. However, he should ‘fighting fit’ to play the third round match commencing from 15^th October, 2015.

Few good outings in Ranji would keep the youngster in the selectors’ radar. This will also force the regular openers, Vijay and Dhawan, to be ‘on their toes’.