One of the biggest mysteries in Test cricket is the persistent failure of KL Rahul, despite batting well, and possessing all the talent in the world. After 59 matches in his career he averages a poor 33/34, and one just cannot understand why. In the first innings of the Leeds Test between India and England, he got out for 42, after weathering the initial storm, and enduring the tough conditions.
KL Rahul Gets to His 18th Fifty
But he made amends by smashing a valuable fifty, his 18th in Test cricket, on the fourth day of the clash. KL Rahul showed immense discipline while dealing with deliveries outside the off stump, to bring up his first milestone after seven innings — with his last fifty coming in Australia, 84 at Brisbane.
Most importantly, what is a larger stat for the Bengaluru boy is, this is for the first time in eight years, that Rahul has gone on to score two 40+ scores in a Test match. The last such instance came in 2017 vs Australia, in his home ground, where he scored 90 and 51. That really shows the kind of roller-coaster his Test career has been for the most part.
40+ Scores in Both Innings After 8 Years
Coming back to the Leeds Test, Rahul showed a firm resolve, when his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal was removed early in the innings. From there on, he went on to build a partnership with debutant Sai Sudharsan, and added 66 runs for the third wicket. The southpaw batter was dismissed on 30, after getting out for a duck in his maiden innings. Both the times, Ben Stokes got his wicket.
