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'Can't Say We Were Under-Prepared...,' - KL Rahul On Centurion Loss Before Cape Town Victory

image-lr0jef3jKL Rahul spoke in glowing praise of Team India (AP Photos)

KL Rahul stood jubilant over India's memorable Test triumph in Cape Town on Thursday (January 4) and lauded the team for making a valiant comeback in the two-match series against South Africa. 

The Indian wicketkeeper-batter, who took some magnificent catches behind the stumps on bizarre surface offering seamers alarming seam movement and disconcerting bounce, said it was key for each player to believe and stick to their guns despite a morale-beating loss in the first Test. 



KL Rahul On India's Comeback Test Win 

However, they bounced back remarkably well in a thrilling-a-minute Test match where bowlers ruled the roost over batters from either side. But supreme spells from Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah with six wickets apiece in the two innings and contributions of substance from senior pros Rohit and Virat Kohli as well as young Shubman Gill helped the team boss the historically unconquered Newlands challenge. 

Speaking to Star Sports about the victory, Rahul opened up on the changes India made after the Centurion defeat in terms of their mindset and planning and why the excess scrutiny the team received following the loss was uncalled for. 

"It was all about mental adjustment in terms of planning and skill," Rahul said. "We can't say we were underprepared for the first Test, just that South Africa played better and never really allowed us to be in the game. In the last 4-5 years, we've been a team that has competed and won series outside India. So we weren't quite ready to have been dominated by the opposition to such extent. It was a huge hit for us."



"But I think, it (win in Cape Town) shows how much Test cricket means to us, how much playing for the country and how much Test wins outside India means to us.. so (that's why) just a day's turnaround (and we practised for Cape Town Test) and I think it's just a mental turnaround and we were more ready for a fight this time," he added. 

Despite Rahul's magnum opus century in the first-innings on comeback, India suffered an embarrassing innings defeat in Centurion and conceded an irrevocable 1-0 lead. It vanished the nation's dream of clinching a maiden Test series win on Proteas turf and paved way to extensive criticism for the Rohit Sharma-led side.