KL Rahul opens about his approach ahead of South Africa tour

Ahead of his first South Africa tour, KL Rahul has opened about his approach and preparation before India head into the first Test. Rahul was consistent in the recently concluded T20I series against Sri Lanka. Though his spot as an opener is not certain considering the form Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay are in but it is likely that the management would want to see Rahul’s ability in his maiden tour to South Africa.

The Karnataka batsman said that he is keenly working on, converting his fifties into hundreds, which has been the major criticism he has been getting lately. He gets the starts but fumbles as he crosses the half-century mark and the batsman is aware of that.

Speaking to Indian Express, Rahul said, “Obviously, ek-do baar hoga then you say it’s fine, but if it has happened 8-9 times then you sit and think about what’s going wrong. And honestly, I don’t have an answer, considering it’s those early runs that are tougher to get and it generally gets easier later in your innings when I’m getting out. And I’ve gotten out in different ways.”

From the subcontinent to South Africa

The transition from playing on sub-continental pitches after a long home season and then having a change as drastic as going to South Africa after playing multiple limited overs game requires a change in approach but Rahul has it all figured out.

He said, “On Indian wickets, especially since we’re going from having played the shorter formats, pitches don’t do much, so you can stand and play a lot of shots. Once you go there, there will be a lot of seam movement. You will have to leave a lot of balls, especially against the new ball, and be selective in your strokes. You have to give yourself some time to get set.”

The difference between Dhawan and Vijay

On being asked about batting with the other openers, Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan where he pointed out the difference in both of their approaches. “There is a calmness in how Vijay goes about his innings. The way he takes his time and the way he leaves balls around off-stump. He controls that phase of the game and gives a lot of confidence, as a result, to the man at the other end.”

“Shikhar is more attacking. The right-left combination also makes the bowler constantly readjust his line and length. It gives an opportunity to get more bad balls,” he said.

On the Head Coach

He also praised Head Coach Ravi Shastri’s work ethics who very recently called him the most improved batsman in the last 18 months. Rahul explained, “He hasn’t said this to me in as many words, but he’s somebody who has helped me a lot. He has helped me mentally and given me confidence as a coach and is like a mentor to all of us. He is constantly asking us to be fearless and back our game. He is someone with whom I can talk about anything.”

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