Speaking on ‘Match Centre Live’ after the conclusion of the first session on Day 1 of the fourth Test, JioHotstar expert Sanjay Manjrekar shared his thoughts on the KL Rahul–Jaiswal partnership:
“The reason KL Rahul and Jaiswal have got close to 500–600 runs as opening partners is the hard work — the plinth of the structure being built by KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, both with 30+ scores now in this innings, after two hours of proper Test-match batting. That was a revelation for me on Day One of the series, where they had to bat first after losing the toss. And it continues to sort of almost bowl me over — the way this T20 generation of Indian batters has adapted is just brilliant. I can safely say that both Jaiswal and KL Rahul have got their eye in.”
On Rahul’s consistency and how his batting approach suits overseas Test conditions:
“KL Rahul has the right kind of approach to playing shots. Now, they say in England, when the ball is pitched up, you play the drive to get two runs, not a boundary. And that’s exactly what he did with the two cover drives he played. This is a guy who hasn’t put a foot wrong in the series and continues to perform. So India is blessed with a KL Rahul who’s finally found consistency in the way he’s batted. It’s not a quick outfield, so a lot of the shots he played went for two runs. But yes, this is exactly what we expect from KL Rahul. We also see a lot of young batters now getting right up there with the legends of the past — and doing it consistently. One reason is they’re performing well. The other is India now plays a lot of Test matches in places like England, Australia, and South Africa — almost every two years.”
JioHotstar expert Jonathan Trott praised KL Rahul’s role at the top of the order, noting the calm and structure he brings to the Indian dressing room:
“I think KL Rahul has been a real bedrock for India, and he certainly calms that dressing room down. The way that he goes about his business, his mannerisms, the way that he scores — the areas that he scores in — is well attuned to being an opening batter. He’s leaving the ball really well, and for me, that’s the number one thing he’s really worked out in his game. I think he’s in great form. If they can continue this partnership — and not go out there trying to cash in too early after doing the hard work — they’ll be in a great position.”
Catch Day 2 of the fourth Test of India’s tour of England, live tomorrow from 3:30 PM, on JioHotstar