Makeshift opener KL Rahul repaid the faith India have shown in him despite recent struggles, helping to put the tourists in the driving seat against Australia in the first Test in Perth on Saturday.
Rahul finished unbeaten on 62 as India reached 172 without loss at the close on Day Two, leading by 218 having bowled Australia out for 104.
The 32-year-old has played a chanceless knock, silencing his critics by balancing the youthful positivity of Yashasvi Jaiswal (90*) with maturity borne from 10 years in, and sometimes out, of the test team.
“They worked very hard,” paceman Harshit Rana said of India’s opening pair. “It was not easy at the start but they spent some time in the middle after which they faced no real problem.”
Rahul adopted the same mature approach on a dizzying opening day too, when India were rolled for 150 inside two sessions by Australia’s seamers. The Bengaluru-born right-hander was the only top-order batsman intent on preserving his wicket, but fortune did not favour him.
The third umpire judged on review that Snicko showed ball-edging-bat off Mitchell Starc to keeper Alex Carey and Rahul had to trudge off for 26. It is familiar territory, though, for a player who has been trolled mercilessly online for his inconsistent form.
The reasons range from a bizarre dismissal playing for India A this month in which he left a straight ball, to his low Indian Premier League strike rate – his franchise Lucknow Super Giants released him this year. Head coach Gautam Gambhir has leapt to Rahul’s defence, praising his versatility and ability to bat wherever required.
A newborn for Rohit and a new chance for Rahul
In this Test, it was a recall as opener in place of Rohit Sharma who is not playing due to the birth of his second child. “The way he saw off the new ball at the start, it was very useful for the team because if you don’t lose early wickets, batting becomes a lot easier,” Rana said.
Rahul has struck four boundaries during his 153-ball vigil, but would have been most pleased by a single in the 48th over. With a gentle poke of Mitchell Marsh to third man, he brought up his 16th test fifty – and received the warm acknowledgement of the 32,368-strong crowd.
Australian captain Pat Cummins was left searching for answers, and part-timers Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne were unable to provide any, an ever-expansive Jaiswal launched spinner Nathan Lyon for a maximum over long on to put a cherry on the tourists’ day.
“We’ve got some problems to solve ahead of us. There’s no doubt we’re clearly well behind in the game at this stage, so India have got the driver’s seat at the moment,” said Australia coach Andrew McDonald.
Earlier, Australia number nine Mitchell Starc scored 26 and was the only batsman to provide any meaningful resistance as Jasprit Bumrah and Rana (3-48) took a session to prize out the final three wickets.
Bumrah claimed his 11th test five-wicket haul with his first ball of the day, pitching back-of-a-length and seaming away from Alex Carey (21) who nicked to keeper Rishabh Pant.
Before he was rushed by Rana to present a simple catch to Pant, Starc copped body blows to the helmet and shoulder in a 112-ball stay, persevering and showing intent that had been lacking in his side’s specialist batsmen.
