India’s Ok.L. Rahul has made peace with the vary of positions he has been requested to bat in. File image
| Photograph Credit score: AP
Australia is the land the place all of it started for Ok.L. Rahul. Again within the December of 2014, the Karnataka star made his Take a look at debut at Melbourne and has had fairly the journey during the last decade. Be it robust limbs and fractured bones or lots of and noughts, Rahul has seen all of them.
With very important runs (26 and 77) at Perth, the batter is now set for the second Take a look at in Adelaide from Friday (December 6, 2024). On Wednesday (December 4, 2024) afternoon, Rahul was all in regards to the measured reply whereas addressing the media on the Adelaide Oval’s basement corridor.
Nevertheless, the million-dollar query about whether or not he’ll open was handled a cryptic response: “I’ve been instructed (about the place I’ll bat), however I’ve additionally been instructed to not share it. You’ll have to anticipate day one (of the Take a look at) or perhaps when the captain (Rohit Sharma) comes tomorrow (Thursday).”
Evolving batting positions, starting from opening to the quantity six slot, have shadowed Rahul’s decade-long Worldwide profession. He has made his peace with it: “I simply need to be within the enjoying XI and bat for the workforce. Early on, once I was requested to bat in other places, it was a problem mentally. However now that I’ve performed in ODIs and in Take a look at cricket, and in all places, it has given me an concept as to how I have to handle my innings, particularly the beginning. The primary 30-40 balls matter, if I can handle that, then the whole lot else looks like common batting.”
At Perth, Rahul performed the calm mentor to centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal within the second innings. Their 201-run alliance was one of many causes for India’s triumph. There was additionally a trickle-down principle at work as Rahul handed on the guidelines he imbibed from Murali Vijay.
Rahul, proper, says he sees a bit of little bit of himself in Yashaswi Jaiswal, left, like when he debuted in Australia 10 years in the past
| Photograph Credit score:
Getty Photos
“I shared no matter I’ve learnt from enjoying in Australia and going through the brand new ball. I noticed a bit of little bit of myself (in Jaiswal) like once I was right here 10 years in the past, opening the batting for the primary time. Lots of doubts, loads of nerves. Loads occurs in your head. The one factor you are able to do is sluggish issues, take a number of deep breaths and concentrate on one factor. And that’s what was handed on to me by my then-opening accomplice Murali Vijay. So I simply handed that on to Jaiswal,” Rahul mentioned.
The approaching fixture at Adelaide can even pit Rahul in opposition to the pink ball: “This might be my first pink-ball Take a look at. It’s a bit completely different to the pink ball by way of how properly you see and decide the ball from the bowler’s hand. That’s been a problem. Hopefully by the point the sport begins, we will have had sufficient follow periods.”
The batter hopes that his newest sojourn in Australia would assist him chart a recent path. “Planning to get a tattoo after the Sydney Take a look at,” he mentioned, and it’s one other ritual he indulges in whereas being Down Underneath.
Revealed – December 04, 2024 12:04 pm IST
