I was just very clear in my thinking and decision making at The Oval, says KL Rahul

Rahul scored 149 in the second innings of the last Test in England.

KL Rahul | Getty

Having played an outstanding knock of 149 in the second innings of the fifth Test in England, right-hand opening batsman KL Rahul said that it is clarity in thinking and accurate decision making for long periods of time, which help him amass one of his best at the International level. 

Arriving into the final examination of what was a really stern challenge across five Test matches in tough conditions against a high-quality attack, Rahul needed to prove a point to his doubters and critics and reiterate his class. 

And so he did. 

He played with innate fluency and assurity at the crease and kept playing his shots in what eventually turned out be a marathon innings. It was only when he finished in the final session that England's target of 464 reached actual impregnable proportions. 

"I don’t think anything extraordinary happened in the final test. I was just very clear in my head. In the first two test matches, I was stuck in between whether to play my natural game or whether to respect the bowlers, and the conditions." said Rahul in an interview with The Field and added, "It tends to happen to the best of batsmen when you tour a tough place like England, and you are caught in between all these thoughts. I think that’s what happened to me in the first few games."

On what was a really tough tour overall, Rahul feels, "Yeah, it was my first England tour – difficult conditions and it was a great experience for a young player like me." adding, "Once I got used to the conditions, I realised I need to be true to my game and back my natural instincts. I am really happy I could finish the tour on a high."

Talking about his 29 Tests, 12 ODIs, 19 T20Is young International career, which basically needs better guidance, management and handling, Rahul said, "It has been quite a rollercoaster so far and quite honestly, I wouldn’t have wanted my international career to be anything different. If things are easy then there is no fun of playing at this level. If things are not going my way at all, then again, it’s a bit difficult to bounce back from it. I have had my shares of highs and lows: that’s what made me strong mentally as well."

And further added, "The thing that has helped me is that I have learnt to value my position and value the place I am in and the opportunities that have been given to me: A few injuries, the times that I have been left out of the team has shown me that I need to be grounded and humble to the opportunities given and keep working hard." before reiterating, "My self-belief is very high and I know that I am good enough to play at this level and do well for my team. I just need to be patient and wait for the right opportunities, and when they come, I need to grab them with both hands and do the best I can."

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 22 Sep, 2018

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