Former Indian batting coach Abhishek Nayar reckons KL Rahul’s inconsistency in the Test format has become a regularity after the batter tried hard to live up to the lofty expectations. Rahul has a solid batting technique but surprisingly he hasn’t been able to justify his talent.
The flamboyant batter has played 59 Test matches but he is averaging below 35. The Indian opener averages only 32.67 while playing in foreign conditions.
Meanwhile, Rahul scored a fine knock of 137 runs in the second innings of the opening Test match against England at Leeds, Headingley but his efforts went in vain as India suffered a five-wicket loss.
Abhishek Nayar said on ESPN Cricinfo, “You start thinking this is what you need to do, and this is what you need to achieve, and people keep talking about your potential and your talent, and you keep adding more pressure saying that because everyone thinks I’m talented and because I have the potential, I need to live up to it, and those expectations sometimes weigh on you your shoulders, and those expectations sometimes really pull you down in a lot of ways and don’t let you be you.”
“It takes the fun out of the game. This doesn’t let you play the kind of cricket you want to play, and more than anything it kills your instinct completely. So it makes you a very predetermined player, devoid of natural flow.”
Speaking on his approach of trying to get the best of Rahul, Nayar said the batter was doing all the right things but the positive results were not coming his way despite all the hard work.
“All I can tell you is, the way I’ve always tried to handle things is to first try and address the skill, and then use skill as a medium to address the mind. I have this belief system that if it’s meant to be, it will be. If it’s not, it’s just not the time. I always believed that he was doing all the right things, and it was just not converting,” said Nayar (via the aforementioned source).
“The pitches in that series (Border-Gavaskar Trophy), bar MCG, had a lot of grass. I remember telling him you need to understand this part of the sport as well. We want to score hundreds, we want to do things, but sometimes when you score 270 in a series, you need to be happy about it. And not think about what if I scored 350 or what if I scored 400.”
“I’m not saying be satisfied, but you also have to acknowledge the fact that you were not part of the Test team very recently, and you come to Australia back in a position that that you weren’t batting in, and you still managed to hold onto that position at end of it.”
The second Test match between India and England will be played at Edgbaston, Birmingham from July 2nd onwards.
