Like slurping talk ice cream in his hometown Mangaluru in KL Rahul seems to have taken a liking to the Australian bowlers. His 84 in India’s reply to Australia’s 445 in the third Test was a good innings, with the opener finding more joy in the runs that Ravindra Jadeja and the last-wicket pair of Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep scored at the Gabba on Tuesday.
Talking to the media, Rahul said, “It’s very good to see a lower-order scoring streak. Their little partnership (Bumrah and Akash) and avoiding further action makes a huge difference, especially knowing that there is some rain in the area and a lot of the game has already been lost to rain.
“In the last half-hour, it was not just the runs they scored but also the heart they showed to keep the bouncers at bay. It was really good to get behind the ball, defend well, get it down and hit some nice shots. This will give them confidence and it will give us as a group a lot of confidence,” added Rahul.
TO READ: AUS vs IND, 3rd Test: Rahul, Jadeja’s fifties help India avoid follow-on against Australia
Praising Jadeja, Rahul said, “I was happy that we were able to come together. He then scored 77 and every run was crucial. He understands exactly what he needs to do. Often people only talk about Jadeja’s bowling, but I think he is a great player even with the bat. He has solid technique and his game plan is really simple.”
Regarding his batting philosophy, Rahul explained, “When you travel abroad and play quality fast bowlers, you have to respect the first 20, 30 overs. You just have to endure the pressure and bide your time to score goals. You have to earn the right to score points abroad.”
