RAJKOT: KL Rahul Kyle Jamieson’s flat throw traveled effortlessly over the long-on boundary to score his first ODI century since the 2023 World Cup.Go beyond the limits with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!There was no undue celebration after he rescued India from a difficult situation against an impeccably disciplined New Zealand attack. He calmly removed his helmet and made a gesture that mimicked his ten-month-old daughter nibbling on her fingers. He was a man in complete control of his game.
Rahul’s 11-year career across all formats was chaotic. He was never far from the plan of things and yet was never sure of his role in the team. He changed the batting order frequently just to be included in the playing XI. Having survived this chaos, he may have finally found peace as the wicketkeeper batting at number 5 – the same venue where he was first tried out in the role almost six years ago. On January 17, 2020, he scored 80 off 52 balls against Australia after Rishabh Pant suffered a concussion in the previous match.Wednesday’s unbeaten 112 from 92 balls was everything his cricket has been about over the last 12 months: certainty and clarity. The team management decided to move on from their left-handed no. to deviate. 5 theory and had Rahul run in at that position in the 22nd over, with the batting power looking shaky on a relatively sluggish pitch. The Ravindra Jadeja not being in top form could have played a role in the decision.
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Under the blazing Rajkot sun, Rahul’s bat exuded class and his demeanor exuded confidence. Here, a soon-to-be 34-year-old reminded the world of his long-vaunted abilities. The responsibility rested comfortably on his shoulders. The tapping was simple and devoid of any modern extravagance, but it was not boring. It was almost as if Rahul was desperate to prove that old-school batting still has its place in ODIs, even in the final overs of an innings.With 11 fours and a single six, Rahul never fell short of the strike rate. Nitish Kumar Reddy’s obvious nervousness may have stopped India from going on the offensive, but Rahul’s mastery of the field was reminiscent of classic ODI innings from a bygone era.Whether it was rotating the attack or farming it as he battled with Harshit Rana and Mohammed Siraj, Rahul was crucial.After scoring a Test hundred at Lord’s last year, Rahul openly said that he was most comfortable opening the innings. He had only rediscovered his test stroke when the team management secured him the opening spot. Well, batting at number 5 in ODIs doesn’t seem too dissimilar – if only the team management could give him more time in the middle and the batting order isn’t too much.Rahul has put in a lot of work to establish his place in the XI. He has consulted Formula One specialists to refine his reflexes and reaction times and add calm to his cricket. Now it’s up to the team management to maximize his dream run.
- 112* – KL Rahul’s eighth century in ODIs is his second against New Zealand – the first was 112 at Mount Maunganui on February 11, 2020. These two innings are his career best ODIs.
- 64.21 – Rahul’s average as a No. 5 batsman is 1477 runs, including three centuries and 10 fifties in 33 innings (unbeaten 10 times) in ODIs.
(Statistics – Rajesh Kumar)
