Former Indian fast bowler Ashish Nehra showered praise on KL Rahul for his consistent performances in the Anderson-Tendulkar series. The five-match series ended in a 2-2 draw after India registered a thrilling six-run win.
KL Rahul delivered at the top of the order and took the onus on his shoulders as a senior batter. Rahul aggregated 532 runs in five Test matches at an average of 53.2 in the five-match series and batted at the top of his game.
Rahul scored two centuries in the series and delivered consistently as an opener for the visitors.
“He was an experienced batter. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were not there. There were a few young players. An England tour is not easy. No matter how much you discuss that the pitches in the first two Tests were the flattest, you still need to score runs on that, and this player showed that by doing it,” Ashish Nehra said on Sony Sports.
The former Delhi bowler expressed his delight that Rahul was given consistent chances as an opener.
“As an opener, when you are the most experienced player in the team, that must be in your mind. The experienced players like him and Jasprit Bumrah did their job fully. It felt good that he got a chance to play at the number he has been playing for a long time. He made the most of the opportunity he got at the right place,” Nehra observed.
On the other hand, former Indian fast bowler RP Singh said Rahul was clear on which shots he wanted to avoid.
“I feel KL Rahul had made a strong decision before the series about which shots he had to avoid. The bat was always close to his body. He only drove the fuller-length balls. He tried to take singles off the length balls. He also shared his experience with the captain,” he said.
The former Uttar Pradesh pacer said Rahul also guided other Indian batters, barring Rishabh Pant.
“While batting, at times, you have to tell your partner how much the ball is swinging or what he can correct during the match. He tried that with a few people, although he didn’t do it with Rishabh Pant. However, he was exchanging words with the other batters,” Singh observed.
India’s batting unit was able to deliver consistently on the England tour.
