I’ve always admired the way KL Rahul bats. He plays the ball late, and leaves well.
On Saturday morning, we had Kane Williamson giving us a masterclass in the indoor nets. Out in the middle, Rahul was providing a masterclass of his own, scoring his second century of the series and giving India a real chance in this match.
His hundred here was his 10th in Tests, and his ninth abroad – and you can see why, because he is good enough to adapt to different conditions.
He made a famous century here at Lord’s in 2021, when the pitch was green and the lights were on, and he and Rohit Sharma calmly shared an opening stand of 126.
True, the conditions this time are not typically English, especially given the lack of swing. But he has played them to perfection, showing off one of the best cover-drives in the game and displaying the kind of old-school technique that some people fear is disappearing because of the influence of white-ball cricket.
The anomaly is why a player of his obvious class and composure should have begun this series with a Test average of 33, and I suspect the answer lies in the fact that he’s moved around the order and even kept wicket a couple of times.
KL Rahul presented another reminder of his talent with a classy century at Lord’s
It marked his tenth Test match hundred – nine of which he has made overseas
It is curious, therefore, that for a player of such high quality, he averages just 33 in Tests
He also plays the odd loose shot – he was out on the drive in the last over before lunch on the first day at Headingley, and here he lost concentration when he poked Shoaib Bashir to slip after reaching three figures.
But he’s never lost that hunger for runs, and he’s more than happy to let the flashier players do their stuff at the other end.
That sounds easier said than done, because he’s come in for stick back in India.
I went to interview him in Mumbai before the series started, and he said he has to try to shut out the noise.
He had to do it again during the recent Champions Trophy, and responded with 140 runs in four innings for only once out.
He feels he always has to prove himself: no matter how well he does, if there’s another white-ball series around the corner, there’ll be someone, somewhere, saying KL Rahul should miss out.
But you can see how important his experience is in a Test side that recently lost Rohit and Virat Kohli. And his technique, with his hands close to his body, is a lesson for some of the others – including Karun Nair, who plays with them out in front.
I’ve always thought that Indian batters, despite the nation’s love for the IPL, are brought up on the fundamentals of the game. Rahul typifies that, and he’s been a pleasure to watch.
