Rohit Sharma slained by Virat Kohli's enemy to uplift KL Rahul

Former Indian selector Chetan Sharma heaped praise on KL Rahul for his calm presence and steady performances at the top of the order in the ongoing five-match Test series in England. He also believes that KL Rahul is one of the best openers in Indian cricket.

Praising KL Rahul for staying calm and focused at the crease, the former Indian bowler has singled out the right-handed batter as a game-changer who brings stability and confidence to the rest of India’s batting lineup, especially the middle order, even without scoring big runs.

Chetan Sharma in awe of KL Rahul’s class and control at the top

Rahul is the second leading run scorer in the ongoing five-match Test series, amassing 532 runs in 10 innings at an impressive average of 53 and a strike rate of around 50. He has been one of the biggest positives for India on the England tour, and Sharma was in awe of him, of how his presence at the crease makes a big difference.

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The former Indian chief selector also said it is very hard to find a weak spot in KL Rahul’s batting, saying the Karnataka star makes batting look very easy. Notably, Rahul was promoted as the permanent opener in the Test after the retirement of Rohit Sharma from the format earlier this year.

Chetan Sharma was quoted as saying by MyKhel: “KL Rahul gives you stability; even if he scores 40 or 50, the time he spends at the crease is invaluable. He allows the middle order to come in with less pressure. Sometimes I wonder where I would bowl to him if I were playing today. He makes batting look so easy.”

Chetan Sharma supports India’s smart move in England

Meanwhile, Chetan Sharma has supported India’s decision to rest Jasprit Bumrah from the ongoing fifth and final Test against England at The Oval to manage his workload. He believes that keeping Bumrah, who was also rested in the second test, fit is more important than pushing him too hard.

He stressed that the Indian cricket team management and medical staff have made the right call by not making Bumrah play all five tests on the England tour. He noted that Bumrah is rare and precious, and India must play a smart game to protect the pacer for the long term.

Sharma signed off by saying, “If our medical team says he shouldn’t play more than three tests, then we must trust them. Fast bowlers like Bumrah are assets. It’s better to keep him fit than to overuse him and risk injury. We need Bumrah for the long haul.”

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15 wickets fall on Day 2 of the 5th Test at The Oval

Notably, Day 2 at The Oval turned out to be a dramatic one, as 15 wickets fell in a single day, which was the highest in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy between India and England so far.

This action-packed day broke the previous record of 14 wickets that fell on Day 4 of the Lord’s Test. It was a thrilling day of cricket with bowlers from both sides dominating the game at The Oval.