IND vs SA: "KL Rahul Has Been Shifted From Number 1 To Number 6.."- Sanjay Bangar

KL Rahul scored an unbeaten 70 on day 1 of the Centurion Test with India finishing on 208/8 in 59 overs after the first day’s play. This happened after South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl first.

KL Rahul has happy memories of Centurion as he scored a match-winning century in the 2021 Test at the same venue. India won the first Test but then lost the series 2-1. Once again it was KL Rahul who rescued India after they lost quick wickets in opening overs.

Rahul added a 46-run stand with Shardul Thakur (24) for the seventh wicket. Shardul fell with India on 164 and from there on. Rahul managed to garner the strike and take India over 200. A score of 250 or thereabouts in the first innings will be a handy score for India for which Rahul will need to bat well in the first hour of day 2. Mohammed Siraj on the other hand has managed to negotiate 10 balls.

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Also Read: IND vs SA: Parthiv Patel Defends Himself After Backlash On Questioning KL Rahul’s Place In The Indian Test Team

Meanwhile, after the end of the day’s play, Former India batter Sanjay Bangar said that wicket-keeping batter KL Rahul’s experience as an opener is worth its weight in gold following his gritty half-century against South Africa. Rahul was unbeaten on 70 off 105 deliveries hitting 10 four and two sixes. Bangar spoke about how Rahul constructed his innings and capitalized on the loose balls thrown at him.

“It’s the overall gambit of skills that he possesses. He’s very good against the new ball, having done that for the majority of his Test career. 25 Test innings as an opener is going to be worth its weight in gold. That will come in handy but that was not the case today,” said Bangar.

When You Bat In Multiple Positions, You Understand Situations Better: Sanjay Bangar On KL Rahul

Bangar further said that Rahul’s knowledge of where his off stump is was incredible to see in the way he batted on the opening day.

“Just the fact that he’s been shuffled from number 1 to number 6, it actually helps your understanding of the game as well. When you bat at multiple positions, it makes you a well-rounded player. You understand situations very well. His judgment outside the off stump was impeccable, which helped him construct the innings of this quality,” Bangar added.

For South Africa, Kagiso Rabada was the star with the ball picking up his maiden fifer against India and in the process going past 500 international wickets. He became the seventh South African to pick over 500 wickets all of it at the age of just 28.

Rabada picked 5/55 and took his wickets tally in Test cricket to 285. He has a very good chance of getting to 300 Test wickets in this very series against India. Nandre Burger on his debut picked 2/50 and Marco Jansen picked 1/52.

India are yet to win a Test series on South African soil. In the past captains like Mohammed Azharuddin, Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli have led India in South Africa but failed to seal a Test series win.

Also Read: IND vs SA: “Indian Team Management Is Backing Rohit Sharma…”-Batting Coach