Former Indian wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel praised KL Rahul after the opener continued his strong form in Tests on Day 1 of the first Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad. India’s bowlers had earlier restricted the visitors to just 162 in the first two sessions.
Building on the team’s performance, Rahul scored a brilliant 53* off 114 balls by stumps, helping India reach 121/2 and trail the West Indies by only 41 runs. Speaking about Rahul on Jio Star after the day’s play, Patel said (via Mangalorean):
“He looks much more in control and settled now. I think that hundred against Australia A also gave him a lot of confidence, because when you head into a Test series after scoring so many runs, it makes a difference. It’s been an outstanding year for K.L. Rahul, his second-best after 2017. I think he will surpass that record this year because he is looking in very good shape.”
“There Were Concerns About His Form Before That Series” – Parthiv Patel
Parthiv Patel feels KL Rahul faced pressure ahead of the recent England tour, where he ultimately excelled with the bat. Patel lauded Rahul for stepping up and shouldering responsibility during that series, a form he carried into Day 1 against the West Indies.
The experienced batter was instrumental in India’s 2-2 drawn series in England, ending as the third-highest run-scorer with 532 runs at an average exceeding 53 across 10 innings.
“KL Rahul was outstanding today; he carried on his form from the England tour. Before that series, there were concerns about his form, but I thought he took responsibility really well. It’s very important when a team is going through a transition that your senior players step up, and that’s exactly what KL Rahul did in England,” said Patel (via the aforementioned source).
He further concluded: “Today, as well, he played the situation really well. The West Indies opening bowling pair was disciplined, and KL gave them the respect they deserved. He gave himself that time to settle, and once he was set, we saw him using his feet and rotating the strike.”
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