Veteran India batter KL Rahul starred with the bat in their 2023 World Cup campaign opener against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, October 8 as well. He smashed an unbeaten 97 runs off 115 balls, including two sixes and eight boundaries. During his knock, he also stitched a 165-run partnership with Virat Kohli (85 off 116) to recover India from an early scare (2/3 after two overs) as well.
However, following his exploits, KL Rahul said that he came out to bat soon after his shower after doing the glovework for 50 overs as India lost early wickets as well. He also credited Kohli for guiding him to play in the Test mode initially during his knock as the duo pulled India back into the contest and eventually won as well.
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KL Rahul said in the post-match show: “On walking out at 2/3) Quite honestly, not a lot of conversation. I thought I’d get a good shower and get a break. I was just trying to get my breath back. Virat said there’s a bit in the wicket, so play like Test cricket for a while. There was a bit of help for the pacers with the new ball, and then the spinners also.”
Rahul also added that the two-paced wicket got easier to bat after the dew in the latter part of the second innings as well. However, he also stated only a boundary and six could have helped him complete his hundred as well. However, he wanted that to be a four which would have given him an opportunity to reach a hundred with a six later as well.
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“In the last 15-20 overs, Dew played a part and that helped quite a bit. The ball also skidded on better. However, it was a bit two-paced, it wasn’t the easiest of wickets to bat on and it wasn’t flat as well. It was a good cricket wicket, a bit for the batters and the bowlers,” KL Rahul further added. “(On the last six) I hit it too well. I just calculated how to get to 100 in the end. The only way was a four and a six, but no qualms on not getting to that hundred.”
