If Your Shot Selection Is Good, Performance Will Surely Happen - Virender Sehwag Impressed With KL Rahul's Comeback

Former India opener Virender Sehwag is largely impressed with KL Rahul’s performances on his comeback Test match at Trent Bridge against England. The opener was unarguably India’s best batsman in the match – he scored 84 runs in the first innings helping the side to a lead, and then scored a quick knock of 26 runs to launch India’s chase in the second innings.

Taking cues from Rahul’s post-match interview, Virender Sehwag pointed out that the right-hander had made conscious efforts to improve in his game: he was shrewd in leaving the good deliveries while cashing in on the loose ones; he had also revealed a tweak in his technique compared to the time when he was dropped nearly a couple of years ago.

“There are two types of mindset, you can make a comeback either in Rahul Dravid style, where you don’t play a shot at all and become extremely defensive, or you play aggressively in Sehwag style. Both are difficult, so you have to find your own way which is best for you,” Virender Sehwag said in a discussion with Sony Sports. 

“He said a very good thing that the improvement was caused by his shot selection. It is the most important thing, if your shot selection is good, the performance will surely happen. Virat Kohli is so consistent because his shot selection is very good. He knows which shots he can play and which he can’t. 

“So that is the line I liked the most in KL Rahul’s interview that he was looking to play too many shots earlier but in this innings, his shot selection was most impressive. He only played shots if the ball was pitched up or short, he either left or defended the good length deliveries,” he added.

He will go forward from here and not back: Virender Sehwag

The former opener reckoned Rahul will now only move forward in his Test career having ironed out the chinks in his technique and matured his mindset. The 29-year-old, though, had come into the side on based of a few fortunes: he replaced Mayank Agarwal, who suffered a concussion two days before the game, and who himself was replacing the injured Shubman Gill; Prithvi Shaw is still in quarantine having been flown from Sri Lanka late.

“Sometimes there are small-small things that you need to pay attention to. So your friend or coach who has been seeing you for long can tell you better, identifying that is very necessary. He has identified that now and he will go forward from here and not back,” Virender Sehwag said further.

The second Test at Lord’s kicks off on Thursday (August 12).

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