IND vs SA: "Someone Was Saying KL Rahul Shouldn't Play.."- Aakash Chopra Takes A Massive Jibe At Parthiv Patel

Aakash Chopra appreciates KL Rahul for delivering consistently for India despite being criticized unfairly time and again. After the end of the first day’s play at Centurion, India finished with 208/8 with Rahul remaining unbeaten on 70. He has Mohammed Siraj with him at the crease who is yet to open his account and with Prasidh Krishna to follow, KL Rahul will hope to take the visitors close to or beyond the 250-run mark.

India’s top order collapsed dramatically with the score being 24/3. Kagiso Rabada and Nandre Burger took on the Indian batters and displayed a great show of swing bowling at a green track in SuperSport Park, Centurion. Kagiso Rabada registered a fifer on the first day taking the prized wickets of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The other three victims of Rabada were Shardul Thakur, Shreyas Iyer, and Ravichandran Ashwin.

Aakash Chopra lauded KL Rahul for proving his worth once again. He elaborated, “You (India) are not out of the game yet. I feel 208/8 is a decent score. I think this game is hanging in the balance. Someone was saying KL Rahul shouldn’t be played, that he is not doing well and is being given illegitimate chances.”

The cricketer-turned-commentator added, “Rahul scored a fifty while batting at No. 6. He scored runs in the first game last time (India’s previous tour of South Africa) as well, I think it was the Boxing Day Test only. He has scored runs in England, he has scored runs in Australia, he has scored runs everywhere but the world keeps hounding him.”

KL Rahul Saves India’s Grace On The First Day With His Unbeaten 70

KL Rahul came onto bat at No.6 after Shreyas Iyer was dismissed with the team’s score being reduced to 92/4. Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin also departed shorty but then KL Rahul added 43 runs for the seventh wicket with Shardul Thakur. After Thakur’s dismissal, KL Rahul started batting a bit aggressively and now he stands in the middle with Mohammed Siraj with the team’s score being 208/8 hoping to reach 250.

Aakash Chopra pointed out that KL Rahul has shown versatility throughout his career. He explained, “People say he has come through recommendation. I am not saying that. I say he is extremely talented. Even public spats have happened on this topic but he is versatile. How many players have done well while opening in Test cricket and then play in the middle order and keep as well?”

The former India opener added that the Karnataka batter saved India’s blushes. He said, “He played and has been the saving grace thus far. With the runs he scored and the way he farmed the strike, he took India to a decent total. It’s a fighting total. I am not saying that you are out of the woods.”

Aakash Chopra also lauded Shardul Thakur for giving much-needed support to KL Rahul. However, he added that the all-rounder could have done better. He pointed out that Thakur played a loose shot gifting his wicket to the Proteas.