Rahul decodes India’s hard-fought batting display at Gabba
The Indian opener hailed the batting exploits of Ravindra Jadeja as well as the late stand between Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah.
With skipper Rohit Sharma dismissed early on Day 4, a follow-on from Australia loomed large over India’s first innings in Brisbane.
It was from here that KL Rahul joined hands with Ravindra Jadeja to script a comeback for the visitors. Together, the duo added 67 runs for the sixth wicket that eventually proved to be vital in the course of the game.
Praising Jadeja, who had been added to India’s lineup for the first time in the ongoing series, Rahul said, “He was brilliant today and he has been brilliant for us batting down the order for many, many years. That’s what we expect of Jadeja.
“Really happy that, firstly, I could stitch a partnership with him when he came in. It was really needed at that stage. Then he went on to score 70-80 runs with the tail, every run today was crucial for us to get past that follow-on firstly, and to see how many runs we could put on the board, and he made that possible.”
The Indian opener added that while Jadeja’s acumen as a bowler is highlighted accurately, the left-handed batter often flies under the radar.
“Often it’s only Jadeja’s bowling that’s spoken about but I think he’s been a great performer even with the bat. He has a solid technique and I enjoy batting with him. I enjoy watching him train. He seems to have his game plan really simple and sorted,” Rahul said.
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After Rahul’s dismissal at the score of 84, Jadeja went on to compile 77 runs off 123 deliveries - his 21st fifty-plus score for India in Tests to go with four centuries.
He was eventually claimed by Australian captain Pat Cummins, who finished the day with four wickets under his belt. With just a wicket left in the innings, Akash Deep (27) and Jasprit Bumrah (10) combined to put up a late stand that helped India avoid follow-on.
Commending the duo’s batting, Rahul said, “Very good to see when the lower order chips in and gets the runs. That’s something we discuss a lot in our meetings. The bowlers work really hard on their batting as well.”
He added, “When it mattered today, I was happy that they could play some exciting shots. It was a great contest at the end, the last half-an-hour they batted. Not just the runs they got, but the heart they showed to keep away the bouncers.
“There’s a lot of pace and bounce in the wicket, so to get behind the ball, defend really well, leave the ball, hit some nice shots, is really good. It will give them some confidence and give us as a group a lot of confidence.”