Dinesh Karthik praised opener KL Rahul after the latter’s incredible performance in the Centurion Test that helped India take a crucial 1-0 lead in the three-game series against South Africa. Speaking on Cricbuzz.com, Karthik emphasized the importance of having KL Rahul as an opener on the team as he toured difficult countries like Australia, England and South Africa. According to Karthik, “talisman opener” KL Rahul was one of the main reasons India outperformed their den opposition. “He has in many ways been India’s talisman opener bringing results for India and helping India win test matches outside India, which is always what India has been looking for. It’s just great to see that.” said Karthik.
Karthik started by working out the technical side of hitting KL Rahul, something the batter has been working on intensively.
“What I liked most about KL Rahul Bat was the fact how well he let the ball out of the punch. That’s one area he’s worked on. He’s really worked on where he wants to keep his hands and his energy in the ball ball, so to speak. And you saw that coming, because he left a lot more than he played,” he said.
Karthik even highlighted an intriguing statistic about Rahul’s hundred-scoring skills abroad and how that helped India win matches on tough away tours.
“He’s someone who loves the cover drive a lot and that’s one of the main reasons why he’s been one of India’s foremost hitters from India. He has seven centuries so far, six of which are outside India. To show that he is someone India relies heavily on in away games,” he added.
Karthik also complemented Rahul for adapting and flourishing with several opening partners such as Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal.
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“And what I like about KL Rahul is the partnerships he has been able to form with several opening partners such as Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal in this series. But when you see the terms he has hundreds of, all heavy wickets – Kingston, Sydney , today in Centurion and Lord’s,” Karthik explained.
The second test match is scheduled for January 3 at The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
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