On Day 1 of the 5th Test, Indian Batter KL Rahul once again demonstrated excellent timing when it comes to playing cricket and impressed fans once again. He hit a super shot in response to Chris Woakes that made the ball scamper to the boundary on the off side. This was a shot that emphasized the fact that Rahul had complete control over technique and time, and bowlers could hardly put him under control.
Four changes were made to the playing XI in the final Test, even as Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh remained on the bench. Meantime, England won the toss and decided to bowl first with the hope of forging ahead early based on the conducive conditions. Karun Nair, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, and Dhruv Jurel had taken the place of Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Shardul Thakur, and Anshul Kamboj in India XI.
KL Rahul’s Classy Batting Style Shines in Away Test
Just a gentle push… and it’s four!#KLRahul showing us that timing beats power, every time. Smooth as ever.#ENGvIND 👉 5th TEST, DAY 1 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar 👉 https://t.co/04PYjgLzCW pic.twitter.com/TQ2hvEcyuk
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 31, 2025
KL Rahul is currently in the best form of his life, as he has been demonstrating his skills during the current Test series against England. He achieved 137 runs in the loss at Headingley, 55 runs in the victory at Edgbaston and 90 runs in the draw at Old Trafford in the series. In 4 matches, Rahul has scored 511 runs in 8 innings, with 2 centuries and two half-centuries, with a magnificent average of 63.88.
In this ongoing 5th Test at The Oval, Rahul failed in one of those uncouth chops to start, but earlier, he and Sai Sudharsan had brought composure to the Indian innings with a sensible stand. They took advantage of the short UK lapse in force, and this gave Britain an upper hand in India.
But Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed cheaply and was caught by James Bracey off the bowling of David Payne after making only two runs as England used the conditions of the overcast to put the pressure on the Indian top order. The duo of Rahul and Sudharsan was one of the most remarkable successes, as they could be put under pressure to develop a foundation that can be strong in India.
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