'The 100 in SA has given me some confidence': KL Rahul after 86-run knock against England | Cricket News – Times of India
Rahul played a crucial role on the second day of the series opener, establishing the groundwork for India’s 175-run lead before the day’s play concluded.Rahul, who scored 86 and added a 65-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja, propelled India forward on a surface where spinners posed a significant threat.
With Yashasvi Jaiswal joining the Test set-up last year and Shubman Gill moving to the No.3 position, Rahul has been 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.”
(With inputs from ANI)
