After veteran India batter KL Rahul’s dismissal in the second Test against Sri Lanka, former India batter Ajay Jadeja said that everyone was surprised because he doesn’t play such extravagant shots. However, he added that the shot selection wasn’t wrong. However, Rahul was caught behind for a 33-ball 18 while attempting a cut shot off Lahiru Kumara’s bowling on Day 1 (Sunday, August 23) in Colombo. India ended the day at 300/5 in their first innings after opting to bat first as well.

During a discussion on Sony Sports, Jadeja said, “He was leaving balls that were closer to him, and the lengths were fuller. When the ball is swinging, you need to attack the bowler somewhere or the other. When you see it, you feel that it was wider than those balls, so why did he touch it, but you need the ball far only for the cut shot. He got beaten either by pace or bounce. When the ball is seaming or swinging, you go less toward the drive and more to the cut or pull. Since he has the habit of leaving and waiting, that’s why everyone is feeling that one doesn’t expect that from him, but I don’t agree that the ball wasn’t there to play the cut shot.”

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In the same discussion, former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad also stated that KL Rahul became overaggressive too early in the game as well.

“It’s very unlike KL Rahul. He had hit a four in that over with a pull shot. Probably he got carried away with that confidence. He generally does not play such shots. It was extremely wide. These were early days in the Test match. It was the very first innings, and he had made 18 runs off 33 balls. He was pretty much set, and there was true bounce on the pitch. It’s a great track to bat on. Generally, he plays cautiously and slowly. He is somebody who occupies the crease,” he shared.