India’s opening match in the Cricket World Cup 2023 against Australia featured an unexpected early collapse, with three top-order batters falling for ducks. Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma, and Shreyas Iyer all departed without scoring a run, putting India in a challenging position while chasing Australia’s 200-run target. However, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli orchestrated a remarkable comeback, guiding the team to victory in a high-profile contest and showcasing their superb batting skills. In a candid post-match conversation with Kohli, Rahul expressed his surprise at the unprecedented loss of three quick wickets.
The early collapse forced Rahul and Kohli to adopt a Test match approach, focusing on thwarting the early threat and patiently seeking opportunities to accumulate runs. The duo prioritized rotating the strike over hitting boundaries. Although this strategy ultimately paid off, Rahul admitted to feeling quite fatigued after the intense match.
KL Rahul candidly stated, “I won’t lie; I was tired. Our only conversation after reaching 50-70 runs in the partnership was about conserving energy and avoiding unnecessary runs. However, when we found gaps, our instincts took over, and we naturally started running. It was a great way to kick off the World Cup with a win.”
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Reflecting on the unexpected early wickets, Rahul expressed his disbelief, especially regarding Shreyas Iyer’s swift dismissal. He anticipated that in challenging conditions, the team might lose a couple of wickets, but not within the first two overs.
They both got #TeamIndia the first win of #CWC23 💪
As the bandwagon moves to Delhi, here’s @imVkohli & @klrahul dissecting their match-winning partnership against Australia 👌
P.S. The local lad is bracing himself for his homecoming 🏟️
Watch the full interview 🎥 👇… pic.twitter.com/HSXYovY43T
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 9, 2023
“I never expected it. It’s normal to lose a couple of wickets when the ball is moving around, but not this quickly. Typically, it takes four or five overs, not just 1.5 or two overs. After Ishan’s dismissal, I hurriedly prepared myself, put on my pads, and got ready. Then Rohit was out, followed by Shreyas. With Shreyas, I expected him to last at least a couple of overs, but he got out on the first or second ball,” KL Rahul shared.
Virat Kohli, reflecting on their partnership, emphasized their contentment with consistently rotating the strike. KL Rahul also revealed his initial strategy of playing the first ten overs like a Test match to counter Australia’s momentum.
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“I planned to approach the first ten overs as if I were playing Test cricket. Opening the batting has exposed me to situations where the ball does unpredictable things. So, I told myself to be more cautious and disrupt Australia’s rhythm. We were content with nudging the ball around, but we also displayed intent and capitalized on loose deliveries,” KL Rahul, the talented batsman, explained.
