Since the start of the England trip, which was somewhat of a second coming in Test cricket for KL Rahul, his philosophy has been “the more one leaves, the more one acquires.”
His potential was undeniable, but turning it into consistent performances was a problem before the England tour when a magnificent ton at Lord’s altered everything for the Karnataka man.
Then came Centurion, when Rahul, believing in his philosophy of ‘less is better,’ reined in his once-famous impetuosity, left a number of deliveries beyond the off-stump, and waited for his chance.
Rahul had to learn the hard way. In cricket, like in life, it is sometimes best to let go. Those deliveries are on the unclear corridor in this scenario.
“It’s something I’m having a lot of fun with right now. The ability to enjoy leaving balls outside the off-stump is crucial in Test cricket.” On a day one hundred, the ‘Player of the Match’ set up India’s first triumph at the Centurion.
“I know we play a lot of one-day and T20 cricket, and blasting the ball all over the park is fun and exciting at the same time, but when it comes to Test cricket, you have to learn to be disciplined and play the waiting game.” The importance of everything to Virat Kohli’s deputy for the series against South Africa is not lost on him.
He also recognizes that while repetition might be tedious, it is a sure-fire way to achieve achievement.
“When you become sick of performing the same thing, you make mistakes. Since I resumed playing Test matches in England this year, I’ve liked playing defensive shots and tiring the bowlers,” Rahul emphasized that even defending can be beautiful.
According to his namesake, there is no greater instructor than Rahul Dravid to teach them the technique of batting.
“When you speak about the art of batting, we are all extremely fortunate to have a man like him in the dressing room, and he (Dravid) has brought a lot of peace and balance into the dressing room,” Rahul remarked.
He is, however, a taskmaster who demands their full attention throughout training sessions.
“He concentrates on the preparations. We loved that era because he (Dravid) pushed us to work hard in training and at the nets. It is a fantastic chance for us to learn and grow as cricketers and as people.”
Source: rediff