The talented & versatile batter has some sublime hundreds to his name but has not been as prolific as would have been expected, in spite of being backed by successive captain-coach combinations. If he regains his confidence, Rahul could be an asset Down Under…
Who is the only Indian opener to score Test hundreds in England, South Africa, and Australia? KL Rahul.
Who is the only visiting batter to score two Test hundreds at Supersport Park, Centurion, often considered a graveyard for non-South African batters? KL Rahul.
Who is the only Indian batter to score seven successive Test 50s? KL Rahul.
Who is the only Indian batter who prompted MS Dhoni – a man not known to be philanthropic while praising younger players – to say before an ODI in Ranchi, “I think India have found an all-format opener”? KL Rahul.
And yet, when we see the career stats of a man who is one among only 22 specialist batters to have played 50 or more Tests for India, it feels like Rahul’s potential has had a rocky marriage with performance. A sub35 average for someone who has played 51 Tests makes Rahul fans – and there are many – grumble in disbelief.
“Confused approach”, “over-thinking”, “scoreboard inertia”, “batting-order changes”, “looked at only as injury back-up”, “ruthless and incessant trolling” – these have been just some phrases used to justify the modest figures. Looking for words resembling “lack of opportunity” and “misfortune”? Keep looking.
On the contrary, Rahul has caught quite a few lucky breaks. Like the one in England in 2021, when he found himself opening the innings after Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal, both designated partners for Rohit at the top of the order, picked up injuries. Rahul was slotted in as opener. A gritty match-winning hundred followed at Lord’s.
The solid 76 in Nottingham in the previous Test was a promising appetizer.
Fortune smiled on him in the Asia Cup 2023 too in Sri Lanka, when just before the toss against Pakistan, Shreyas Iyer picked up a back injury and Rahul got in as a ‘keeper batter and smashed a brilliant hundred. He enjoyed a productive ODI World Cup in that role, keeping Ishan Kishan out.
Being articulate and having led astutely in franchise cricket, Rahul was looked at as a worthy deputy to both Kohli and Rohit. Their injury-led absences saw him become India’s 34th Test captain in Johannesburg in Jan 2022 and later in the year in Bangladesh for two Tests.
However, while the ‘C’ next to his name elevated his profile, Rahul’s form nosedived. He averaged only 17.12 in four Tests in 2022. He lost his place in the T20 side after a below par T20 World Cup Down Under, in which it seemed he started to bat conservatively.
Yet, he has repeatedly found backing both in the Kohli-Shastri regime and the Dravid-Rohit regime. He found support from Rohit again in Chennai, where he was preferred over Sarfaraz Khan, who had impressed in the three outings against England earlier in the year and whose game against spin is flawless.
“The kind of message that has been given to him from our side was very simple: we wanted him to play all games. We want him to bring the best out of him. And it is our duty as well to bring the best out of him,” Rohit stressed.
As captain, Rohit has earned the reputation of giving players the freedom, comfort and security. The vote of confidence for Rahul illustrated that. Rohit also acknowledged Rahul’s ton in the Centurion Test in difficult conditions batting at No. 6, and also the 86 batting at No. 4 in Hyderabad against England before getting injured.
“He’s got the game to play spin and seam. I don’t see any reason why he can’t flourish in Test cricket. Obviously, the opportunities are there now. It’s for him to understand how he wants to take his career forward,” Rohit stated.
The team think-tank knows that a confident Rahul in Australia will be an asset as a backup ‘keeper to Rishabh Pant, allowing the selectors to pick another bowler or batter in the travelling squad. He was safe as a church with the ‘keeping gloves on the pace-friendly surfaces in South Africa.
Versatility has been Rahul’s calling card to stay relevant. An opener, he effortlessly embraced the role of keeper and middle-order enforcer-cum innings builder in ODIs and played notable knocks like the 97 not out vs Australia in Chennai in the ODI World Cup opener to rescue India from 2-3, chasing 200.
But his knock of 66 off 107 balls in the final against the same opponents in Ahmedabad gave enough ammunition to the troll army to attack him again.
Having the comfort of Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin to bat behind him – and being sandwiched between them and the flamboyant Rishabh Pant at No. 5 – could give Rahul enough confidence to make a name for himself at No. 6.
For inspiration, he can look at how VVS Laxman prospered at that number. Another option: Watch his own knock on Boxing Day in 2023 in Centurion.