KL Rahul scored a top-notch 108 against Sri Lanka on Day One of the second Test at P Sara Oval, Colombo. He received a reprieve when on 11 when Jehan Mubarak dropped an easy chance at gully off Dushmantha Chameera. Barring that early chance Rahul looked quite secure, playing some wonderful drives and pulling hard — albeit on a slow surface — as he got his second Test ton in his fourth Test. Shiamak Unwalla feels Rahul could be India’s potential solution to the No. 3 crisis that seems to have struck them. Read: India, Sri Lanka share honours following KL Rahul’s ton on Day 1 of 2nd Test at Colombo
It seems KL Rahul does not believe in holding back; he either gets out early or scores a century. He has played seven innings so far, and has scores of 3, 1, 110, 16, 7, 5, and 108. This perhaps speaks more of his nerves than anything else. Rahul’s talent is obvious, but one feels he has been incredibly lucky as well. After flopping on debut, he was not only persisted with by captain Virat Kohli but also promoted to his regular opening slot, where he got his maiden ton in his second match. Murali Vijay’s injury gave him a chance in the first Test against Sri Lanka, where he failed again. But Shikhar Dhawan’s injury ensured that he got to retain his spot, and he went on to score another century. READ: Virat Kohli’s positive cricket leads India forward in 2nd Test against Sri Lanka at Colombo
To his credit, Rahul grabbed his opportunity this time. A senior player like Rohit Sharma is still guilty of gaffing numerous chances, but Rahul has grabbed his opportunities. This century is as beneficial for India as it is for Rahul, given India’s recent problems with the No. 3 position — Cheteshwar Pujara, Rahul himself, Rohit Sharma, and Ajinkya Rahane have batted there in a span of five Tests. READ: Indian seamers must contribute more
With Vijay and Dhawan being India’s first-choice openers, it is unlikely that Rahul will get to open unless one of them is injured. However, Vijay and Dhawan have a worrying tendency of failing to click together; the duo has yet to put on a century stand since Dhawan’s debut. With Rahul batting at No. 3, he will as good as open batting anyway. READ: Rohit Sharma: Prodigy or Tragedy?
As things stand, Rohit and Rahane seem better suited to bat in the middle-order, and it does not make a lot of sense to upset Kohli from his No. 4 position. It seems India have lost confidence in Pujara, which makes Rahul the perfect candidate to bat at No. 3. India will be well-served if Rahul can continue his good run. READ: Rangana Herath: An ode to the rotund banker
(Shiamak Unwalla, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a self-confessed Sci-Fi geek who loves cricket more than cricketers. His Twitter handle is @ShiamakUnwalla)
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