India opener KL Rahul admitted to experiencing a "T20 hangover" after coming straight from the Indian Premier League (IPL) to the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Mullanpur on Saturday (June 6).
Rahul (100) and captain Shubman Gill (103*) both slammed centuries, while Rishabh Pant was unbeaten on 50 at stumps as India ended the opening day with 368/3 on the board.
Coming off a busy T20 schedule, Rahul noted that he initially had the urge to play attacking shots right away but acknowledged that it actually helped him maintain a positive strike rate during his innings.
"Yeah, I did [he had the urge]. I mean, but I don't think it's a bad thing. That is something that I was telling myself as well, that because there was not so much time between the last game which was the T20 format and this one, [in fact, he had been playing T20s] for a couple of months, and then coming straight into this, sometimes you sit and overanalyse and try and play completely differently to T20 cricket," Rahul, who is serving as the vice-captain for this Test match, told broadcaster after the close of play on Day 1.
"But something that I consciously tried was to not restrict my shots, also be aware of what kind of shots I can play on this wicket against what kind of bowlers. So that's something that I thought about in the last week leading up to this Test match. That's what I tried to do. And in the morning, I think I did play a few shots more than what I would have played ideally, but yeah, it didn't make me frustrated or angry at myself. I was okay with playing shots and playing to the merit of the ball. That's what I was trying to do more," he added.
After Yashasvi Jaiswal’s dismissal for 24, Rahul was joined by Sai Sudharsan, and both stitched a 139-run stand for the second wicket before the latter departed for 81. Soon after notching up his 12th Test ton, Rahul was also walked back to the pavilion.
"I'm really happy that I could get some time in the middle and make that switch from T20 to Test cricket in a short time. That was the most pleasing thing. But [it was] really hot, so there wasn't much time for me to feel happy or satisfied with the way I batted. I was just exhausted by the end of it," the right-handed opening batter said.
The game marked the Test debut for Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium. Sharing his thoughts on the pitch, Rahul stated: "No, it [the ball] wasn't coming on at all. It was a really slow and low sort of wicket, which we did expect after a few days of training here. It was pretty similar to this. So, got a few good sessions in and, I had to make that switch and get used to spending time in the middle and get used to letting the ball come to you and get your Test game plan sorted in your head. So, the few days that we spent here really helped and, I just carried that same training into the game and just enjoyed being out in the middle and playing some good old Test cricket."
