Published: Jan 09, 2015, 03:54 PM (IST)
Edited: Jan 09, 2015, 03:54 PM (IST)
KL Rahul had a horrible start to his Test career at the MCG in the ongoing India-Australia Test series, scoring three runs in his first innings and just one in the second. Obviously, like with any other Indian cricketer, his on-field performance came under severe scrutiny and he coped a lot of flak on social media. “He saw all the criticism on Facebook and Twitter,” said Sinan Abdul Khader, a clubmate and close friend of Rahul.
But Rahul was wise and did not let that effect him. “He told me that he was just going to ignore it,” Khader told The Indian Express. Rahul was didn’t lose self-belief despite the failure. He told Khader that he, “believed he had the game to succeed.”
He has always been a strong lad claimed Khader, even during his day in club cricket. “Even at the age-group level, his mental strength made him special,” added Khader. He then went on to explain the reason for Rahul’s failure in the first Test. “Rahul was not under pressure because it was his Test debut. He handles pressure well. He walked in at No. 6 and was anxious to score quickly. Virat Kohli was batting on 100-plus and thought it was best to attack the Australians,” he said.
The blocking out of the criticism, the faith and self-belief evidently worked well for Rahul as he worked his way to his maiden-century in the second opportunity he got, during the fourth Test at SCG. This was a result of his hard-work according to his long-time coach, Samuel Jayraj. “He is not one to rest on his laurels,” said Jayraj.
