Before the series against Australia KL Rahul was criticized a lot
Before the series against Australia, veteran batsman KL Rahul was criticized a lot. Even questions were raised about his preference over Dhruv Jurel. Rahul was not even the main opener before the series. He was just an option. In the absence of Rohit Sharma, he shut everyone’s mouth by scoring 77 runs in the second innings of the Perth Test. From here Rahul’s place was confirmed. Giving a befitting reply to the criticism, Rahul has performed brilliantly in this series so far. Where the senior batsmen of the Indian team failed to stay at the crease, Rahul always faced the challenges bravely.
> Dropped in NZ series
— JAISH 𝕏 (@i_boulti) December 17, 2024
> Opened absence of Rohit Sharma
> Scored 30+ and 77 in 1st match
> It was not even known whether he would play or not after Rohit's return.
> Saved India from humiliation.
The saviour of team india KL Rahul 🤍 pic.twitter.com/JZ9F15UXvt
Rahul saved the honour of Team India by scoring 84 runs in the first innings of the Brisbane Test. He came to open and was out as the sixth batsman. None of the top 4 players who returned to the pavilion before him could cross the double-digit mark. Only captain Rohit Sharma could reach 10 runs. He became the victim of opposition captain Pat Cummins after scoring 10 runs. Where the wickets were falling continuously, Rahul was fighting alone.
Took blows on the body and stayed on the pitch
Rahul is the first batsman to complete 200 runs for India in the current Test series. He has scored 26, 77, 37, 7 and 84 runs in the current series. Irfan Pathan, Cheteshwar Pujara and Sanjay Bangar praised Rahul after his brilliant innings in the Gaba Test. Rahul suffered some physical injuries and to some extent luck also supported him. On the fourth day, Steve Smith dropped his catch on the very first ball. He took full advantage of this opportunity and completed his half-century in 85 balls. He was getting close to a century but Smith took a brilliant catch and sent him to the pavilion.
From his fighting knock in South Africa to this brilliant innings in Australia, KL Rahul has often been criticized for his failures. But I feel we rarely give him enough credit for the way he has rescued India in tough overseas conditions.
— Vipin Tiwari (@Vipintiwari952) December 17, 2024
pic.twitter.com/jBLu7Ydhux
Pathan explained the importance of Rahul
Rahul scored 84 runs in 138 balls and hit 8 fours in his innings. Out of the 3212 runs in his Test career, Rahul scored only 1149 runs at home and the rest outside India. Pathan posted on Instagram and explained the importance of Rahul in foreign conditions.
Praised by Pujara
Pujara said that Rahul showed that batting on the Brisbane pitch is not difficult and it is all about surviving the new ball. He said: “KL showed that if you work hard, if you bat well, it is a good pitch where you can score runs. It is not a very tough pitch where you cannot survive or where you cannot bat. I mean it is just about surviving the new ball and KL showed that today.
KL Rahul you are a fighter, you have saved this match for india. It's required the best catch of the series to send you back but you did your job.pic.twitter.com/LxYJvBNq21
— Sujeet Suman (@sujeetsuman1991) December 17, 2024
Bangar spoke about Rahul’s game plan
Bangar lauded Rahul’s game plan at the Gabba and said that he was the standout among the batsmen of both the teams. Bangar also said that the rest of the Indian batsmen should also try to incorporate Rahul’s strengths in their game plan. “He left a lot of balls outside the off-stump and forced the bowlers to do something different. Overall, he played a fantastic innings and in my opinion, he is the best batsman in both teams, as he is playing very well with the new ball. His decision-making outside the off-stump is unmatched and his example should inspire the rest of the Indian batsmen to incorporate these qualities into their planning of individual play.