KL Rahul has turned up big in the ongoing Test series against England, and Aakash Chopra feels that he has not let India miss Rohit Sharma at the top of the order.
Rohit retired from the Tests ahead of the England tour, and Rahul swiftly moved back to the opening slot and scored consistently well on the tough tour. He has scored a couple of centuries and is currently the second-highest leading run-getter in the series with 511 runs at a sublime average of 63.88.
With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli stepping away, doubts loomed over India’s ability to handle English conditions. But Rahul, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja have silenced the critics with grit and resilience, showcasing maturity and fight in the toughest of situations.
The star batter also played a gritty 90-run knock in the Manchester Test, which laid the foundation for the draw. He fought hard and faced 230 balls to show his grit and determination and rescue India from a tricky position alongside skipper Shubman Gill.
Former cricketer Chopra is elated with Rahul’s playing to his potential and hopes that he will finally get the respect he deserves. He said the opening batter has been playing like a monk in this series, providing stability to the Indian innings.
“At some point, I hope people start giving him the respect he deserves. He’s playing like a tapasvi, a true ascetic at the crease. He may have missed his century, but he’s been the backbone of India’s top order this series,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“KL Rahul and Yashasvi have done incredibly well”
Rahul stormed into an elite club, becoming only the second Asian opener after Sunil Gavaskar (542 in 1979) to score over 500 runs in a Test series in England. He’s also just the second visiting opener this century to do so, joining South Africa’s Graeme Smith (714 in 2003).
He further stated that Rahul and Jaiswal have formed a solid pair, and India does not miss Rohit.
“We expected to miss Rohit at some point, given how good he was last time here. But KL and Yashasvi have done incredibly well. They’ve been solid and confident, and that’s been vital,” he added.