Back to the top: KL Rahul’s incredible return as India’s best away opener
India’s all-format player, KL Rahul, has had a rather chaotic journey in Indian Test cricket. He had a baptism by fire as he debuted in a Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2014. After dual failures in the middle order in his debut Test, he bounced back with a century as an opener in Sydney in the following Test. It has been almost seven years since then. And while his Sydney ton gave him the identity, it’s his Centurion century that will give him the stability.
A confident beginning
The Karnataka batsman had all the shots in his array yet his temperament and batting calibre meant that he was earmarked for the longest format. Rahul stepped out in India whites in 2014 and it was after two years that he donned the blue jersey. Pairing up with Murali Vijay, Rahul soared upwards as a Test opener.
After his maiden Test hundred in Sydney, Rahul presented proof of his spin-playing capabilities as he celebrated a ton in Colombo. The knock of 108 against Sri Lanka was followed by the scores 2,2 and 2 but the opener stormed back in contention with an innings of 158 in Kingston. In December 2016, he notched up his only Test century in India till date as he struck 199 in Chennai against England.
Strengthening his spot, Rahul enjoyed a phenomenal 2017. Against Australia and Sri Lanka, he racked up seven consecutive Test scores in excess of 50. It was a period when India played plenty of home Tests. However, the decline of the opener began with India’s extensive away programme.
Down and out
Rahul’s difficult phase in Test cricket began from the South Africa tour in 2018 where he could only muster 30 runs in four innings. In the England tour that followed, the right-hander failed to go past 40 in nine consecutive innings. It was his face-saving 149 at The Oval that added a silver lining to the disastrous tour. The outing raised questions about his temperament. The batsman himself recently admitted that he was playing too many shots back then.
After four single-digit scores in Australia, the selectors finally decided to move on from KL Rahul – the Test opener post India’s maiden WTC series in West Indies. In between August 2019 and August 2021, the Karnataka batsman did not feature in the white flannels for India.
A fitting comeback
It all happened too quickly. Rahul arrived in England with a hope of reviving his Test career as a middle-order batter since many others had leapfrogged him for the top spot. However, things took a wild turn as both Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal were ruled out due to injuries. Another contender, Prithvi Shaw had not been named in the original squad and was involved in India’s parallel limited-overs action. Rahul grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
At Trent Bridge, England folded up for 183 in their first innings. Rahul’s 84 at the top gave India a confident start and an upper hand early in the series. He was India’s highest run-getter in the match. Improving on his efforts, Rahul celebrated a ton at cricket’s mecca, the Lord’s in the following Test. He was named the Player of the Match as India completed a 151-run triumph.
It was in South Africa that KL Rahul’s decline as an opener had begun back in 2018. Conquering the African land this time, Rahul composed a patient century on the first day of the opening Test. He became only the second Indian opener after Wasim Jaffer to achieve the three-figure mark. The centurion of Centurion has proven that he can master a plethora of conditions. He has ensured that he stays on the top now, at least for a while.
