Rahul opens up about his time in middle order, outlines India's plan for Day 2 of 1st Test
Jan 26, 2024
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], January 26 : India opener, KL Rahul talked about his experience of playing in the middle order following his blitzkrieg against England on Day 2 of the opening Test.
Rahul played an instrumental role on the second day of the series opener, laying the foundation of India's 175-run lead before the stumps were called.
Along with Ravindra Jadeja, with his knock of 86, he drove India on a surface where spinners carried a substantial threat.
With the arrival of Yashasvi Jaiwas in the Test set-up last year and Shubma Gill slotting down to the No.3 spot, Rahul has featured in the fifth spot for India.
After stumps, Rahul during a chat with the broadcasters said that he has enjoyed his recent outings in the middle order.
"Was a challenge, I had to wait for my opportunity to play shots. Enjoying batting in the middle-order. I did enjoy batting in the top-order for a long time, but here you get some time to put your feet up, watch as to how the ball is doing, what the bowlers are doing and it gives time to plan your innings," Rahul said.
The 31-year-old has peaked since the conclusion of the ODI World Cup. During India's recent tour of South Africa, he scored a ton in the opening Test on a quick-paced surface that troubled the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
"The 100 in SA has given me some confidence, also having played 6-7 months of cricket since my injury. The aim was to stay positive when I went out to bat. Very different to that of South Africa, a bit of turn, it became slower and slower as the ball went old," Rahul stated.
Finally, he laid down India's plans for the day as they raced to a valuable 175-run lead and said, "It's only the second day, we just wanted to bat the full day and get as many runs as possible (on the team plan). The chat was to bat as long as possible and everyone to bat and score as many runs as we could."
