With
KL Rahul
's resilient half-century against
England
playing a crucial role in putting the hosts in a commanding position on the second day of the inaugural Test,
Zaheer Khan
, the former Indian fast bowler, likened Rahul's current form to a 2.0 version of his past self.
Commending Rahul's batting performance and its influence on the ongoing Test match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, former England cricketer Owais Shah and ex-India captain Anil Kumble also expressed their appreciation.
In the first innings, Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja contributed significant half-centuries, propelling India to a lead of 175 runs by the end of day two, with the score standing at 421/7 in 110 overs.
Rahul showcased his prowess by achieving his 14th Test fifty, securing the top score with 86 runs off 123 balls. His innings reflected a blend of patience and precision, featuring 8 fours and 2 sixes during his stay at the crease.
Zaheer, an expert on JioCinema and Sports18, spoke of Rahul’s batting, saying: “If we look at Rahul’s career, he has had a lot of injury concerns. There have been times when he has been injured while hitting peak form and he hasn’t been able to capitalise on this form, something you require in international cricket. But looking at the recent past, with the successful World Cup campaign and the South Africa series, we can say this is a 2.0 version of Rahul.”
Former England cricketer Owais Shah said Rahul did not play any horizontal bat shots and rather played with a straight bat.
“If we look at his batting, he attempted the sweep shot only four times, whereas most of the English batsmen played the sweep. He played with a straight bat and got his boundaries and singles with straight-bat shots. Many say we should not play KL Rahul, but I would say he is a wonderful batsman and should play regularly,” said Shah.
At the close of play on Friday, Jadeja remained unbeaten on 81, while Axar Patel provided solid support with a score of 33.
Anil Kumble, the iconic former captain of India and renowned spinner, shared his insights on the lead that India aims to establish in this particular match.
“I think these two batters (Jadeja and Axar) will look to stretch the lead to 250. Both of them are good batters and have got a good start. So I think they would be looking to a lead of 245-250,” said Kumble.
(With IANS inputs)
English (US) ·