IND vs ENG, 1st Test: '100 against South Africa gave me confidence,' says KL Rahul after 86 against England on Day 2
Indian KL Rahul is playing his 50th Test of his career. On Day 2, India are at 421/7 and take a 175-run lead against England in the first innings.
Hyderabad: KL Rahul took confidence from his hundred against South Africa last month when his brilliant 86 put India in the driver's seat against England on the second day of the first Test on Friday. On a turning track at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Rahul held his ground against a spin-heavy English attack, challenging himself against the turn that outpaced most of his colleagues. At stumps, India were 421/7 to take a first innings lead of 175 runs with three days to play.
From the day at 119/1, India lost both Yashavi Jasiwal and Shubman Gill early. Rahul teamed up with Shreyas Iyer to score 64 runs before the later fell victim to Rehan Ahmed. He then added 65 runs for the fifth wicket before becoming Tom Hartley's second Test wicket.
“The 100 in SA has given me some confidence, also because I have played cricket for six to seven months since my injury. The aim was to stay positive when I came in,” Rahul said after the matchday. “Very different to South Africa (on the pitch) – a bit of a bend, it got slower and slower as the ball got old.”
Rahul will be especially disappointed as he was set to score a hundred in his 50th Test.
Nevertheless, his innings was characterized by imperious timing and meticulous shot selection, which made it oh-so enjoyable to watch. His fifth wicket alliance with Jadeja in just 74 balls during the middle session of play put England on the back foot.
In total, India made 87 runs during that period, losing two wickets. The effortless partnership ended when Rahul pulled a half-tracker off Hartely to pick out Ahmed, the only fielder in the deep at mid-wicket.
Half a century for KL Rahul! 🙌
FIFTY Partnership 🆙 between KL Rahul & Shreyas Iyer 👌👌#TeamIndia 212/3
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/HGTxXf8b1E#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @klrahul | @ShreyasIyer15 @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/doaGOr4LUX
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 26, 2024
Ravindra Jadeja (81 batting) and Axar Patel (35 batting) added 63 runs for the unbroken eighth-wicket stand and are at the crease at stumps. Once an opener, Rahul was forced to move into the middle order after Shubman started making Gill happy with his bat at the top. The right-hander is enjoying his batting in the middle order as he gets more time to settle down.
“Enjoy batting in the middle order. I enjoyed batting in the top order for a long time, but here you get some time to put your feet up, see how the ball is doing, what the bowlers are doing and it gives time to plan your innings,” added the Karnataka cricketer.
Asked about the team plan on day 2, Rahul said: “It's only the second day, we just wanted to bat all day and score as many runs as possible (as per the team plan). The chat was to bat as long as we could and hit everyone and score as many points as we could.