Rahul reveals game plan, praises lower-order batters

Brisbane: Tightening up defence and giving bowlers respect in the first 30 overs of an innings has been the key to KL Rahul’s success during the ongoing series against Australia in which his other India teammates have struggled.

Rahul has by far looked the most assured Indian batter on the tour and it was on display once again on Tuesday when he produced a gritty 84 off 139 balls in challenging conditions, contributing immensely to the visitors’ 252/9 on day four of the third Test here.

After India managed to avoid follow-on in the rain-hit game, Rahul was asked about his style of play.

“See I’m quite certain that everybody has their own set plans... You also need to have a bit of luck as a top-order batter. Just a little bit that goes your way if you can get through those first 10-15 overs and get a bit of confidence then you start feeling good and you start enjoying playing with the Kookaburra ball with the pace and bounce here in Australia,” said Rahul, who has reaped the benefits of playing close to his body.

The classy right-hander said it is all about sticking to the basics in overseas conditions and that includes giving due respect to the bowlers when the ball is hard and new.

“It’s just about getting through those first 20-30 balls for everybody and everyone’s trying their best to do that and it’s a long series. The only thing you can do in the first 30 overs is to tighten up your defence, try and respect that the first 30 overs is the bowler’s time,” he said.

Rahul enjoyed the shots played by Akash Deep and Bumrah.

“Knowing that there’s a bit of rain around and so much of the game has been lost to rain. We need to find a way to stay in the game and I think Akash and Bumrah did that at the end,” said Rahul.