Former England legendary batsman David Gower has heaped praise on KL Rahul, who scored a fine knock of 84 runs in the first innings of the first Test match against England at Nottingham, Trent Bridge.
Gower, who was known for his flamboyant play, stated that Rahul looked more organized and kept his own self belief on pace bowling-friendly pitch.
Rahul showed great patience as he was ready to leave the good balls outside the off-side. The right-hander took his time at the crease and looked comfortable while batting in the tough English conditions.
In fact, Rahul was playing Test cricket after a long gap of two years but he was able to grab his opportunity. Rahul had played his last Test against West Indies back in 2019 and he was dropped after inconsistent performances.
Rahul left the ball with aplomb and showed good technique against the experienced England fast bowlers. In fact, Rahul was in good form as he had scored a fine hundred in the warm-up match against County Select XI at Durham after he got a chance to play as Rishabh Pant was tested positive for Covid-19.
Gower said while talking to Cricket.com, “The key to batting on this surface was accepting the fact that you will get many deliveries that will beat the bat. Especially as an opener you are always on the firing line. But as a batsman, you have to keep your own self-belief and I think that’s what KL Rahul did very well.”
“He looked very organised and disciplined on deliveries he was trying to play and you needed some luck to survive on that pitch. Not to get down and think you are playing badly when the conditions are favouring the bowlers, I think that’s one of the things he did exceptionally well.”
The former left-handed English batsman added that a good start to the series will give more confidence to Rahul and he will look to continue the good show.
“One of the great things about starting a series well is that it gives you confidence. You come into the side, get a chance… but Rahul has that experience and has played in all three formats of the game,” Gower said.
The second Test match will be played at Lord’s from 12 August.
