Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan was not impressed with the way KL Rahul got out in the first innings of the opening Test match against England at Leeds. Rahul, who now holds the most senior batter stature in the current Indian Test team, failed to convert his start into a big score and was dismissed on 42. The stylish batter started strong and stitched a crucial partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal while tackling the new ball in English conditions. He displayed great composure in the opening hour, carefully leaving deliveries outside the off stump and resisting any temptation to play loosely. However, his patience eventually gave way, as he chased a similar delivery and edged it straight to Joe Root in the slips.
Pathan expressed his disappointment over Rahul playing the flashy shots and getting out when he was well set in the middle.
"The Indian openers added more than 50 runs in Headingley for the first time in 39 years. So, India wouldn't have expected a better start than that. However, the two wickets that fell (in the first session), I will be slightly more disappointed with KL Rahul because playing flashy shots is not his strength," Pathan said on Sony Sports.
Rahul put on 91 runs for the first wicket with Jaiswal, making 42 from 78 balls with eight fours.
Also Read | Sachin Tendulkar rubs salt on England's wounds after India dominate Day 1, Sourav Ganguly's reaction adds to the agony
'Not KL Rahul's strength'
Pathan weighed in on KL Rahul’s dismissal, pointing out that it wasn’t the first time he fell to an overly aggressive shot. He noted that Rahul had done the hard work of surviving the new ball but threw away a golden opportunity to convert his start into a big score.
{{/usCountry}}Pathan weighed in on KL Rahul’s dismissal, pointing out that it wasn’t the first time he fell to an overly aggressive shot. He noted that Rahul had done the hard work of surviving the new ball but threw away a golden opportunity to convert his start into a big score.
{{/usCountry}}"He played flashy shots twice or thrice, the ball went in the air, and he could have gotten out there. When the wicket fell, you had gotten set by then. You had already stitched together a 91-run partnership, you had made the ball old, and downed their spirits," he added.
Also Read | Sidhu brands Michael Vaughan a ‘fool’ in scathing takedown over England win prediction vs India: ‘Noise proves nothing’
The veteran all-rounder further added that Jaiswal playing such a shot is understandable with his natural playing style. Rahul’s dismissal was more disappointing given the responsibility on his shoulders and the fact that such rash strokes aren’t typical of his usual approach.
"It was time to cash in. This was a flashy shot. It's understandable if Yashasvi Jaiswal had gotten out playing that shot because that's his strength. This is not KL Rahul's strength. You need to take responsibility as an opener slightly longer," he observed.