Table of Contents
KL Rahul is expected to be available for India on Day 2 of the first Test against Sri Lanka after retiring hurt with cramps on the opening day in Galle. Rahul was forced to leave the field after making a well-paced 77 off 162 balls, but there is no major concern over his fitness.
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak provided the latest update after the end of play on Day 1, confirming that Rahul had recovered well from the cramps and should be fit to resume batting on the second day. The experienced batter's availability will be a relief for India, particularly after he had played a crucial knock in the opening innings.
KL Rahul retires hurt in Sri Lanka Test
KL Rahul looked well set during his innings against Sri Lanka, reaching his half-century from 127 deliveries. The right-hander showed considerable discipline against the Sri Lankan spinners, repeatedly trusting his defence and leaving deliveries that turned sharply away from him.
KL Rahul also attacked when the opportunity presented itself, hitting Prabath Jayasuriya for a six and a four down the ground. He eventually reached 77 off 162 balls, with nine fours and one six, before an unfortunate bout of cramps brought his innings to an early end.
After the tea interval, KL Rahul returned to the middle but immediately appeared to be struggling with his hands and legs. He had received treatment in the dressing room, but continued to experience discomfort after coming back onto the field.
He appeared to struggle to hold his bat properly and was also seen dealing with cramps in his right hand and between the middle and ring fingers of his left hand. The batter was limping as well, forcing him to retire hurt.
Shubman Gill subsequently came out to bat in KL Rahul's place as the latter received further attention from the team physio.
KL Rahul injury update ahead of Day 2 of 1st Test vs Sri Lanka
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has played down concerns surrounding KL Rahul's fitness, revealing that the batter was dealing with cramps rather than a serious injury.
Speaking after the end of the first day's play, Kotak said Rahul had recovered well and should be available to bat when India resume their innings on Day 2.
“He was getting cramps. By the end of the day, he was fine. He looks absolutely fine. He should be okay to bat tomorrow,” Kotak said, as quoted by RevSportz.
Kotak pointed out that Rahul has regularly adapted to different roles, opening the innings in Tests while batting in the middle order for India in ODIs.
“When Rahul bats in ODIs, he bats at 5-6. In Tests, he opens. He's ready to bat anywhere and that helps the team a lot. That is something very good to have. He has been very consistent,” Kotak added.
Shubman Gill is someone who is very consistent - Sitanshu Kotak hails India captain
Sitanshu Kotak also discussed Shubman Gill's dismissal and backed the India captain's consistency despite missing out on a substantial score.
“Shubman is someone who is very consistent. I don't think he has any issues with playing any line or length. When he saw the replay, he said he should have hit it straight. If you think too much before playing a shot, it will be impossible to bat. Even he feels he has missed out on a big one,” Kotak said.
The batting coach further assessed the conditions in Galle and suggested that the pitch could become increasingly helpful to the spinners as the Test progresses.
“The wicket is on a drier side. We have to take it session by session, day by day. It will not crack I feel, it will just spin more on Day 3, 4. Batting averages, if you look at records, it goes down as the match progresses,” he added.
