KL Rahul believes India started its five-match series against England on a fine note in Nottingham even as the first Test ended in a draw on Sunday as the 5th day’s play was washed out due to incessant rainfall.
Opener KL Rahul opened up on the takeaways from the opening Test against England, saying the Indian team’s preparation stints since the World Test Championship final in June has eventually paid off. The opening Test between India and England ended in a dull draw after rain washed out what had promised to be a humdinger of a final day on Sunday.
KL Rahul Said India Maintained Intensity Throughout The 1st Test And Felt Despite The Draw, India Had A Great Start
Virat Kohli-led India needed 157 more runs, in pursuit of 209, whereas Joe Root-led England also had a chance to win, requiring 9 more wickets. The second Test starts on August 12 (Thursday) at Lord’s.
“The way we went about our batting as well was pretty good. On a challenging pitch with the weather conditions forcing us to go in and out, it’s not easy to get our focus back but we held ourselves well,” Rahul said at the post-match press conference.
KL Rahul added that India maintained its intensity throughout the game to keep the host on the back-foot.
“I think the energy was great on the field and everything that we’ve prepared for over the last month and a half fell in place nicely. It’s a great start for the series for us and hopefully, we’ll keep improving,” Rahul said.
Joe Root, the MOM in the 1st Test, had failed to reach half-century in his last five Tests. But he scored 64 in the first innings and then came up with a masterful 109 helping England put up a much-improved batting show in their 2nd innings. He became the first to surpass the 1,000-mark this calendar year. He now has 1,064 Test runs in 2021.
KL Rahul Defends Jasprit Bumrah Saying He Has Been A Match Winner For India
Jasprit Bumrah has been a proven performer and teammate KL Rahul fails to understand why his nine-wicket match haul against England in the drawn opening Test is being perceived as a “comeback” for the Indian speedster. Asked how he feels about Jasprit Bumrah coming back to form, KL Rahul expressed his surprise at the question.
“Sir, I don’t know why you are saying that (Jasprit) Bumrah has made a comeback. Every time, in every game, in every condition he has proved himself and he is our number one bowler. Wherever he has played, he has been a match-winner for us. We are happy that he has done once again, what he does best,” Rahul said.
Having already spoken about his batting two days back, KL Rahul lauded the pace unit’s 20-wicket effort which was the major takeaway according to him.
“The way we bowled in the first innings and the discipline that we showed after losing the toss and bowling first (was a takeaway). It felt like the team which won the toss had an advantage and we bowled with a lot of discipline. How Shami and Bumrah started and how Shardul and Siraj continued, how all of them worked together and bowled in the right channels,” the soft-spoken opener explained.
“Sometimes the bowlers can get carried away when a lot is happening off the pitch and it says a lot about our bowling unit. There is a lot of experience in our bowling and they understand what exactly is expected of each one of them. Our pace bowling attack is the main reason why we qualified for the WTC finals.”
He also spoke about the batting unit doing well in challenging conditions with multiple rain breaks.
“It was a challenging pitch and weather conditions being as it was, going in and going out wasn’t easy for us to get our focus back. So it was great to see that we held our focus and in the field, I think our energy was great. Everything that we prepared for one and half months (post-WTC final) fell in place and hopefully we can keep getting better,” he was visibly satisfied.
On a personal front, KL Rahul said that he was happy playing Test cricket after more than two years as it is frustrating to sit out at times.
“From the last 2-3 series (away vs Australia and vs England in India), I have been sitting outside. The team was doing really well and I was very happy to be part of the team and seeing how we were beating teams in India and then Australia. So it was great to be part of it, but also very frustrating that opportunities weren’t coming. I kept waiting for my opportunity, so I am very happy that it came to England,” said Rahul, who prefers middle-order in traditional format.
Jasprit Bumrah ended the five-match Test series opener with an impressive performance, returning with a nine-wicket haul, including a five-wicket haul in England’s second essay.