Published: Nov 21, 2014, 03:22 AM (IST)
Edited: Nov 21, 2014, 03:22 AM (IST)
Nov 21, 2014
India and Karnataka opening batsman KL Rahul said he was confident ahead of the big series against Australia scheduled to begin next month. Rahul, who is a part of the 19-member squad, has been selected for the Indian team after a couple of solid domestic seasons.
According to a report in NDTV, Rahul said, “I am very confident and I have been batting well,” the opener said. “Hopefully, I can continue with the same form and confidence when I get a chance in international cricket as well. I am watching the ball really well, I am moving well in the crease which is a big positive for me. I am very confident while batting, so I am hoping to continue in the same vein.”
Speaking on his tendency to get out after getting set, Rahul said, “At certain points after playing the new ball and doing all the hard work, somewhere I played a rash shot. Perhaps it was a lack of concentration, so I have worked on that aspect. Also I have realised that to succeed in international cricket, I will have to be a better back-foot player. The wickets are going to be harder and bouncier, and the bowlers are going to be so much quicker. I practiced a lot on my back-foot play and getting used to the pace of international bowlers and making that switch from 130s to 140s [kmph].”
Rahul had toured Australia earlier with the India A team. Speaking of the experience, he said, “The wickets were very different when we went there last time. But I did learn a lot about my batting. I was getting starts and I couldn’t convert them into bigger runs. Once I came back from Australia, I really worked a lot on my fitness and batting. I was getting carried away in the 30s and 40s, so I have worked with my coach on that aspect. I am focusing for long hours and I am pretty happy with the way, I’ve started off the season.”
Rahul went on to say that this series would be a good one to debut in. “Maybe I could have played 2-3 series in India but I wouldn’t have felt like it is international cricket. This is one tour where I will get so much international exposure; everything is going to be entirely different. It is going to be a great experience for me and I am really looking forward to it,” said Rahul.
He then went on to talk about his relationship with Karnataka senior and Indian legend Rahul Dravid, when he said, “We share the same name, so the comfort level is much better. It becomes easier for me to go and approach him. Since my junior cricket days, I’ve been going to him and asking a lot of questions about batting, technically and mentally. He’s been of great help, he’s always helped me with my batting and I have been very lucky to have someone like him backing me.”
