Senior India batsman KL Rahul said on Wednesday that he has conquered the “mental challenge” of being a floater in the lineup and is happy to bat at any position for as long as he provides value to the squad. Rahul was outstanding in the first Test against Australia in Perth, scoring 26 and 77 while starting the innings in place of regular skipper Rohit Sharma, who was on paternity leave. Through Rohit coming to the starting eleven for the day-night Test on Friday evening, Rahul answered the obvious query about the bowling position.
Anything (opening or middle order),” the 32-year-old batsman told reporters before India’s training session here. All I want is to be in the playing XI, no matter where. “You go there and bat and play for the team,” said the hitter who has scored over 3000 runs in 54 Test matches.
Rahul began his Test debut in Australia precisely a decade ago as a middle-order hitter who later opened. His batting position in both the Test and ODI formats has been inconsistent throughout the years, which has had an impact on his mental health.
“I’ve batted in several locations. “It was a little difficult at first, not technically but mentally, to play those first 20-25 balls,” he admitted. How early can I attack? How cautious should I be? Those were the difficult aspects to deal with at first.
“But now that I’ve played in Tests and ODIs all over the place, I’ve figured out how I want to manage my innings,” said the stylish stroke-maker, who has eight Test tons, including two in South Africa, one in Australia, and a couple more in England.
In his mind, he has simplified Test batting. “Whether I’m batting at the top or middle of the order. If I can manage the first 30-40 balls, everything else feels like normal batting, which is what I try to focus on,” he explained.