Time ripe for Rahul to reap the fruits of labour at home

Of the many avatars that K.L. Rahul has donned in his decade-long international career, he seems at his most comfortable in his present position: as opening batter and senior statesman of a young Indian Test team. His ease was discernible in his classy exhibition against the West Indies in the first Test at Ahmedabad last week as the 33-year-old celebrated his 11th Test hundred with a raised bat and a kiss of the helmet.

He has, of course, scored runs against far more hostile bowling attacks in much more demanding conditions, as nine centuries in 43 Tests away from home testify. But the ton against the West Indies is significant for the very reason that there was a sense of inevitability about the way he went about his business.

That it was just his second three-figure score in 21 Tests and 33 innings at home encapsulates Rahul’s vexing career. It gives the impression that his game against spin isn’t quite as robust, but it is worth noting that his home average of 41.63 is significantly better than his average of 33.84 outside India.

Cold numbers have never done justice to Rahul’s credentials. But since the tour of England in June, it appears as though the figures are finally aligning with the abundant ability that Rahul has always possessed. At the end of a gripping five-Test duel versus England, Rahul was India’s second-highest run-getter, behind Shubman Gill, with 532 runs at an average of 53.2. During the tour, he shed light on how mental drills with Formula One coaches had enhanced his reaction time.

Having gone through the grind for many years, the time is ripe for Rahul to fill his boots in the home season and bolster his overall average of 36. He seems in the mood to do so: before his hundred in the first Test against West Indies, he also amassed an unbeaten 176 for India-A against Australia-A in a successful run chase of 412.

“When you travel abroad and play in seaming, swinging conditions, there’s a lot of challenge doing that,” Rahul told the official broadcaster in Ahmedabad. “And when we come back home, you really need to dig in and need to get your runs with singles. I needed to make that mental switch to enjoy doing that, enjoy grinding and getting hundreds with singles and twos as well. That’s the only difference that I can see. And probably that’s why I wasn’t doing that well previously when I played at home.”