KL Rahul’s redemption arc in Test cricket is going well. After a terrific century on a pace-friendly surface in Centurion last month, the 31-year-old played a brilliant knock on a spin-friendly surface in Hyderabad in the first Test against England.
England threatened to make a comeback in the game with the wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill in the first session. However, KL Rahul, along with Shreyas Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja, took India into lead and strengthened India’s hand on the game.
Yes, Rahul creamed 8 gorgeous fours and 2 towering sixes, but the highlight of his knock was his ability to rotate the strike with singles. Rahul remained busy throughout his innings and rarely gave the chance for England to create pressure on him. Unlike Shubman Gill, who defended a lot, a bit too much than one’s liking, and got out attempting the boundary, however, KL Rahul, too, got out aiming for a six off a long hop from Tom Hartley.
Batting at number 4 in the absence of Virat Kohli, Rahul had big shoes to fill. And he stepped up sumptuously in the absence of the senior pro. Rahul scored 86 runs in 123 balls. When leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed started to find some rhythm after the Lunch break, Rahul smoked him for two sixes down the ground.
He must be gutted to miss out on what would have been a well-deserved century by only 14 runs. KL Rahul has 8 Test centuries to his name, and only one of them has come in India.
Upon taking the walk back to the dressing room, KL Rahul got a standing ovation from the crowd
Watch:
Standing Ovation For KL Rahul After A brilliant Knock
Well played #INDvsENG #KLRahul
pic.twitter.com/XotdliPb8J— Zeeshan Nadeem (@Shani_7800) January 26, 2024
Ravindra Jadeja and KS Bharat have taken India to Tea at the score of 309/5, leading by 63 runs.
Teams:
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Srikar Bharat(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes(c), Ben Foakes(w), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, Jack Leach
Also Read: “His career is on the line”- Dinesh Karthik Made A Big Statement About Shubman Gill
