Briefly after the drinks break in the post-lunch session, KL Rahul brought up a patient 102-ball half century for India A against England Lions. In the moments following that, there was a rare loss of focus that saw him get beaten on the outside edge in the channel by George Hill. But before the next ball, he took a walk down the pitch, tapped it a few times, and quickly went back to middling a perfect forward defensive stroke, followed by carefully seeing one through to the keeper’s gloves… he reset. Then he finished the over with another gorgeous cover drive for four.
In those few moments, it was evident that Rahul has switched on his red-ball mode. After the exertions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), where his Delhi Capitals failed to qualify for the playoffs, he made his way to England early to get some batting time under his belt. And having to face Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue – both in England’s squad for the Test series – Rahul went about his business with a certain assurance that will bring calm to an inexperienced Indian batting unit. A 168-ball 116 in Northampton sets him up nicely for the long summer ahead.
If there were any doubts over where Rahul is likely to bat in the five-match Test series, the sight of him opening with Yashasvi Jaiswal ought to have put those to rest. It is the combination that started the series Down Under, and with Rohit Sharma now not in the picture, looks set to be the first-choice again, especially with Abhimanyu Easwaran failing in two of his three innings so far.
Rahul was off to a watchful start with Woakes getting the ball to talk under overcast skies on a green top. The allrounder was the Lions’ best bowler by some distance, and he accounted for Jaiswal early, with one that shaped back in late from a fuller length.
Jaiswal signalled that the ball was shaping past the leg stump, but was left to do the disappointed-Pakistan-fan meme pose as he saw the finger raised. There was a reprieve for Easwaran off the very first ball, one shaping away, the outside edge was dropped at second slip. But his stay wasn’t long either, as he was trapped in front by Woakes, this one straightened more subtly and looked plumb. Woakes’ superb first spell read 6-3-8-2.
Two big partnerships
Then, Karun Nair and Rahul went about constructing the first of two big partnerships for the visitors, a 139-ball 86. After lunch, Woakes returned to the attack, and this time, he wasn’t as frugal. When he erred slightly shorter on Rahul’s hips, the opener swivel-pulled for a four. When he was fuller and outside off, Nair flayed one over point. The pacer still got the odd ball to trouble the Indian duo – like one in the 27th over that squared up Rahul and brought out a big LBW appeal – but that was the exception rather than the norm.
Rahul’s shot to go from 40 to 44 was a thing of beauty as he played the perfect textbook cover off Tongue, a shot that he played to good effect right through his knock, meeting the ball right underneath his eyelines. After his half century, he moved through the gears as well. His first came off 50 off 102 balls, while he scored the next 51 runs off just 49 balls.
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The driving and cutting were on point, and when he was tested with short balls, he rolled his wrists over nicely to avoid falling for the Lions’ trap. There was one shaky moment off Hill when the ball flew in that gap between wicketkeeper and slip for what otherwise would have been a regulation catch with a regulation slip cordon that the Lions had in place previously. Largely, it was a serene day out for the classy opener.
After Woakes accounted for Nair with one that nipped back in the next ball from a good length, Dhruv Jurel joined Rahul for a 121-run stand off 159 balls. Jurel came out playing his shots, reaching a half-century off 66 balls. Unlike Rahul, though, his momentum got halted after the landmark, and he was bowled by a fine delivery by Hill that nipped back in from good length. Hill then ended Rahul’s stay.
After a backfoot punch for four to start the over, Rahul looked to continue the tempo going. However, his attempted cover drive caught the outside edge and flew at a comfortable height to Emilio Gay at the second slip. But as he walked back, the Indian management would have most certainly felt a sense of relief.
Brief scores: India A 319 for 7 in 83 overs (KL Rahul 116, Karun Nair 40, Dhruv Jurel 52; Chris Woakes 3/50) vs England Lions
