Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden has backed KL Rahul to bat at number four for India in the upcoming five-match Test series against England. Hayden believes Rahul could be a like-for-like replacement for Virat Kohli.
Rahul recently scored 539 runs in 13 matches of IPL 2025 at an average of 53.90 and a strike rate of 149.72. The flamboyant batter scored a fine knock of 116 runs in the second unofficial Test against England Lions.
The Karnataka batter had opened the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal on the Australian tour and had done well in the first half of the Border-Gavaskar series.
“I have just got one other issue here as well. KL Rahul, he will open. I am just going to make that call. My problem with that is I believe he is your best player in Test match cricket. He can be a like-for-like replacement of Virat Kohli, absolutely custom-made at No. 4,” Matthew Hayden said on Star Sports show Game Plan.
The former attacking batter doesn’t want Rahul to open the innings for India as he frequently gets out caught behind with the new ball.
“The reason why I don’t like him as an opening batter, and we saw this in Australia as well, he gets out 57% of the time caught behind, nicked off. So he looks so technically sound, how amazing is it, and then suddenly he is out,” Hayden observed.
The former CSK batter said Rahul should be protected in the batting order as he is India’s best and most experienced batter.
“For me, that bit of protection around your best player, KL Rahul, is a sure thing in English conditions, and maybe the best place to bat in England as well. When the damage is done with the new ball, you can come in and you can just set out your stalls,” he said.
Hayden reckons English conditions can be good for batting if the sun is out.
“It can be the hardest place to bat, and then it can be the easiest place to bat in the world as well when the sun is out and it’s shining, and you are just there going ‘Hello, I am batting all day here.’ To me, that’s the key point of difference. It’s not going to happen. I don’t believe, but if I were a selector, that’s what would happen,” Hayden elaborated.
The opening Test match between India and England will be played at Leeds, Headingley, from June 20 onwards.
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