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‘Didn’t Expect This…’- KL Rahul Reflects India’s Thumping Win Over SA In 1st ODI

image-lq9ic0i6KL Rahul celebrating a wicket with teammates in first ODI (x.com)

Team India crashed South Africa by eight wickets in Johannesburg to 1-0 up in their three-match ODI series. Arshdeep Singh picked up a five-wicket haul while his pace mate Avesh Khan accounted for four Proteas batters of his own to demolish the entire hosts line-up for just 116.

The ‘Men in Blue’ mowed down the total with relative ease off the back of splendid half-centuries from debutant Sai Sudharsan and senior man Shreyas Iyer. After the match, Indian captain KL Rahul expressed his surprise over the pace of the wicket, and stated that the team management was expecting spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel to make an impact instead.

KL Rahul praises team for emphatic win

Stand-in Indian skipper KL Rahul expressed his surprise over the fast-paced nature of the Wanderers surface, considering the venue offered more assistance to spinners during the T20Is.

While speedsters Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan demolished the entirety of South Africa’s batting line-up, Rahul claimed that the team management was expecting spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel to make an impact instead.

While speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, he said:

“We didn't expect this to be that quick. It's an unexpected one, but we will take it. We have seen in the T20s that it did help the spinners. So we were expecting Kuldeep and Axar to get to the game early, but it was completely different from what we expected coming into this game.”

KL Rahul also praised Arshdeep and Avesh for reaping off the benefits of the surface by maintaining ‘discipline’ to their bowling throughout the innings. He added:

“There was a lot of help in the wicket early, and the boys bowled really well. The boys did well to stay disciplined. The ball kept moving around.”

The 31-year-old further explained the benefits of team’s constant rotational policy, which allows certain players to take rest and emerging talents to showcase their mettle. Rahul cited cricket’s jam-packed schedule as the reason behind the same, and claimed that the team management is currently focused upon T20Is and Tests in lieu of next year’s T20 World Cup and the ongoing WTC cycle.

“It's just how cricket has been played in the last couple of years. You have to rest some players, you prioritise one format every now and then. Now it is T20s and Tests. But we want to take guys who are doing their best. Everyone's doing well in first class and IPL, too, so good for them to get a taste too.”

KL Rahul will now lead Team India in the second match of their three-ODI series on December 19 at the St George’s Park Cricket Ground in Port Elizabeth. Both teams will subsequently travel to Paarl for a potential decider on December 21, i.e., just five days prior to the commencement of the Test series.