My plan was to break Sehwag's record of 319: KL Rahul

To know the importance of one run, ask a batsman who missed out a century being dismissed on 99. Imagine the agony if someone gets out one short of a double ton. India’s KL Rahul knows it the best as he was the latest to be dismissed on 199. In the final Test against England, Rahul was dismissed on 199. In a recent conversation with the Mumbai Mirror, the Karnataka batsman spoke at length about that knock and also how his game is shaping up.

He mentioned that he felt bad missing out on the double ton. The part that was worse is that his agenda of breaking Virender Sehwag’s record of 319 runs remained unfulfilled. Recalling the knock, he said, “More than missing that one run, I was really upset that I missed out on capitalising and scoring quick runs the next morning. The plan wasn’t just 200, but to get something even bigger. My plan was to break 319 (the highest ever score by an Indian in Test cricket – Virender Sehwag).”

However, he felt good about it when the coaches credited him for a good valuable knock. He reflected back at how the coaches told him that he will have the hunger to get the double ton now.

“My coaches (Sanjay Bangar and Anil Kumble) said when I play next time, I will be more hungry to score 200, so it’s a good sign for the team. Perhaps, if I had scored a double hundred I don’t think I would be as hungry as I could be when I go out to bat the next time,” added KL Rahul.

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Adding further, when asked about his favorite knock, Rahul was quick to cite the very same knock as the most satisfying one. He also added the ton he scored in a T20I against West Indies in the list. That ton had, however, been in vain.

“It’s very hard to choose. But yes, the 199 against England is very recent—I went in with a plan and stuck to my game. I didn’t change too much. I was disciplined and I was in the perfect zone. Also, the T20 hundred in the USA—I’m really happy with how I played and went about the innings. If I have to choose, I will choose these two knocks,” picked KL Rahul.

India are now in line to host Australia for a 4 match Test series. Rahul took very little time to start the mindgames about it. He quoted Mitchell Starc as the toughest bowler that he had ever faced. However, he added that he is all set to take on him when the Aussies tour next month. He added that he loves tougher challengers.

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“I haven’t been intimidated by anyone, but Mitchell Starc is the toughest bowler I have faced so far. He bowls at serious pace and has great control over his deliveries. We will be facing him very soon. I’m looking forward to the challenge of facing him. I will enjoy playing him. The tougher the challenge, the more I enjoy batting,” conceded the Karnataka batsman.