He Looked Very Organized And Disciplined: David Gower Lauds KL Rahul For His Brilliant Knock In Nottingham

Former England batsman David Gower has heaped high praise on KL Rahul for his brilliant knock in extremely tough conditions and against a world-class attack in Nottingham on his Test comeback.

KL Rahul was initially earmarked as a middle-order batter by the Indian team management for the England series.

However, with Shubman Gill getting ruled out of the series and Mayank Agarwal sustaining a concussion during a net session on the eve of the 1st Test, KL Rahul was called up as a replacement opener.

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Rahul hadn’t played Test cricket since August 2019 and he struggled big-time against the moving Dukes’ ball during the last trip to England in 2018.

However, the right-hander showed remarkable improvement in his technique and grinded out a brilliant 214-ball 84 in extremely challenging conditions during the first innings.

He was up to the task in the second innings as well as he not only withstand the pressure exerted by the English bowlers in challenging conditions but also found a way to regularly get runs.

Speaking to cricket.com, David Gower said that the thing that stood out was the amount of self-belief that KL Rahul possesses.

The former England captain further said that Rahul looked extremely self-assured and disciplined during his stay at the crease.

“The key to batting on this surface was accepting the fact that you will get many deliveries that will beat the bat. There was plenty going on and any bowler would have fancied their chances on that surface. Especially as an opener you are always on the firing line. But as a batsman, you have to keep your own self-belief and I think that’s what Rahul did very well,” said Gower.

“He looked very organized and disciplined on deliveries he was trying to play and you needed some luck to survive on that pitch. Not to get down and think you are playing badly when the conditions are favoring the bowlers, I think that’s one of the things he did exceptionally well,” 64-year-old Gower.

Gower signed off by stating that Rahul will take a lot of confidence from his performance in Nottingham in the rest of the series.

“Just look at the way he built that innings. He has plenty of time to play. One of the great things about starting a series well is that it gives you confidence. You come into the side, get a chance… but Rahul has that experience and has played in all three formats of the game.” said David Gower.

Also Read- Aakash Chopra Reckons KL Rahul Will Open Alongside Rohit Sharma In The 2nd Test