Indian batter KL Rahul. (FILE photo)
Rohit Sharma, who usually has a response ready in his lips, thought long and hard when asked to explain how India can bring the best out of KL Rahul. “Look, only a handful of people in world cricket have had a very smooth ride. I’m talking about the time when cricket started till now. So, everyone has their ups and down,” Rohit would end the silence in his own philosophical way.
And then after a pause, the India captain would also reveal what he expects from Rahul ahead of a busy Test season which includes a trip to Australia. “I think with KL, you know, the kind of quality he has, everyone knows about it. The kind of message that has been given to him from our side was very simple: we want him to play all games. We want him to bring the best out of him. And it is our duty as well to bring the best out of him. It’s important that we give him that clear message that this is what we expect from you. And I think we have done that,” Rohit said on Tuesday.
It wasn’t surprising that Rohit threw his weight behind Rahul. Even in a crowded Indian team training session, it is hard to miss Rahul when he is batting in the nets. From the time India landed here for the camp last week, when he is fronting up to pacers, he is bringing out solid front foot defence or leaving deliveries close to the off-stump with such assurance that even the support staff keep showing him thumbs-up. There isn’t a moment where he feels hurried. Against spinners, he puts his footwork to good use – to come down the pitch or to use the depth of the crease – and time and again brings out that late cut which has now become his trademark.
KL Rahul scored 149 in the fourth innings of the fifth Test against England. (Source: Reuters)
But his Test career so far has been a stop start one. From being tipped as an opener for the future, he is now seen as an ideal batsman to bat at No 5, who was even rated good enough to be considered as a specialist wicketkeeper ahead of Ishan Kishan.
While that experiment as a specialist wicketkeeper in Tests was short-lived, Rahul now fits more as a middle-order batsman. In South Africa and as well as in the first Test against England before he got injured, Rahul showed his sense of adaptability to bat at No 5. In home conditions, with a well-equipped game against spinners, he would be an all the more vital cog in the wheel and batting at No 5 means, when the second new ball comes around, he can also rely on his experience as an opener.
“He’s got the game to play the spin, and the seamers. So, I don’t see any reason why, you know, he can’t flourish in Test cricket. Obviously, the opportunities are there now. The guy has got talent and it’s important that we give him clear messages every time we get an opportunity to speak to him,” Rohit added.
While India are counting on him, Rahul knows the upcoming five at home will be of huge significance as a string of good scores will ease the pressure before he boards the flight to Australia. Since making his career-best 199 against England at Chennai in 2016, he hasn’t made a century at home. In fact, that century remains his only one at home with each of his other seven hundreds coming at Australia, England, West Indies, Sri Lanka and South Africa.
For a batsman who has played 50 Tests in a career spanning nearly a decade, 393 runs he scored in the 2017 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home remains his best tally in a series. It is a resemblance of his conversion rate (14 50s and 8 hundreds) and his struggle to find consistency despite having the game to succeed in varied conditions. But this season can potentially become a make or break for Rahul, particularly at a time when there is a huge competition for places in the middle-order.
“You know, obviously, spending so much time in international cricket-it’s for him also to understand now how he wants to, you know, take his career forward. I think the best thing that you have to do at that point in time is to just understand yourself and understand what is expected out of him and what he needs to bring to the table for the team,” Rohit said.
India’s Sarfaraz Khan plays a shot during the 4th day of the 3rd cricket Test match between India and England, at Niranjan Shah Stadium, in Rajkot. (PTI)
While Sarfaraz Khan did well in Rahul’s absence in the England tour, Rohit said it is a straightforward decision as to who makes the XI. “Look, when we select an XI, you know, a lot of thought goes behind what people have done, what people have done for 10-15 years, how many runs they have scored in the last two or three series, what is the form and everything. What kind of experience an individual brings to the table, and who is the match winner, who can have an impact in the game more than anyone else. And yeah, some things are just there in front of you, you just have to pick them up and put it in the block, as simple as that.”
