Even the very experienced aren’t immune to the vicissitudes of not having a settled place in the batting order. Just how much role clarity and preparation can positively impact a cricketer has never been more obvious than in ‘s case.
Some 23 months, the 34-year-old was shunted down to No. 6 where, coincidentally, he batted on his debut in Melbourne in December 2014. After three Tests, two against Bangladesh and first of three against New Zealand, he was dropped from the playing XI, only to be recalled as opener when skipper Rohit Sharma missed the Perth Test in November 2024 due to the birth of his second child. Since then, apart from in Melbourne when he came in at one-drop, Rahul has exclusively occupied the opening slot, alongside .Rohit’s retirement in May last year meant he knew the opening position was his for the taking; Rahul has emphatically made one of the two berths his own with a wonderful run of consistency.
In the 16 Tests including Perth, the right-hander has reeled off four centuries and six half-centuries while averaging 46.03, comfortably nine runs more than his career average of 36.81. More than the impressive returns, there is a sense of calmness about him that is impossible to miss. Revelling in his role as senior statesman following the retirements of Rohit and among the specialist batters, no one has played for longer or more than his 69 Tests – he is quick to pass on his experience of playing in different conditions, while managing with aplomb the balance between looking out for others and focussing on his own game.
His homework, Rahul has acknowledged, has influenced his mindset. “Most of the work is how I’ve prepared before coming into a Test series and that’s something I’ve paid a lot of attention to, whether it’s the mental make-up or whether it’s doing the physical hours and whether it’s batting,” Rahul said in Galle, after twin efforts of 82 and an attacking 35.
“I’ve worked really hard with my coaches back home and that has given me clarity in the way I want to play, in the way I want to build an innings. There’s a sense of balance and calmness now walking into a Test, now that I’ve played so many matches,” he added.
Another fruitful outing at the SSC ground in the second Test starting on Sunday will set him up nicely for the showdown in November in New Zealand, where India’s last series success came in 2009.