• Home
  • Who Said What
  • Kl Rahul Is Batting Better Than He Ever Has Ex India Quick On Openers Test Form

"KL Rahul is batting better than he ever has": Ex-India quick on opener's Test form

Jatin

KL Rahul has been in great form [Source: @AadixMB/x.com]KL Rahul has been in great form [Source: @AadixMB/x.com]

When a former teammate says you are batting the best you have ever batted, you know you are doing something right. That is exactly what ex-India quick Varun Aaron feels about KL Rahul, who has been turning heads with his red-ball form of late.

Varun Aaron praises KL Rahul’s Test form

India walked into the West Indies Test series on the back of a hard-fought 2-2 draw in England, where KL Rahul opened and scored 532 runs in 10 innings.

While the headlines were about a new-look squad missing the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Aaron reckons the confidence from that England tour has carried forward nicely.

“I think this is a very new-look Indian team. A lot has changed, with two very big names (Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli) missing from the squad. There are also many players who have done really well in England, and the confidence is very high. Yes, the conditions are contrasting, but when you draw a Test series the way India just did in overseas conditions, you carry a lot of belief. I think that belief is really going to hold good,” Aaron told JioHotstar’s Game Plan.

Rahul and Jaiswal: The fire and ice pair

The former pacer saved his highest praise for India’s opening duo of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, calling them the perfect balance of calm and aggression.

“KL Rahul has always belonged to that opening spot. Just looking at the quality he possesses, sometimes his numbers baffle me. I’d say his average should have been in the high 40s, if not 50. He has had form slumps on and off, but right now, Rahul is batting better than he ever has, especially with the way he performed in England. He looked so organised, almost reminding me of the same player I played with in the Under-19s – disciplined, composed and a great leaver of the ball. On the other hand, you have Jaiswal, someone who attacks the opposition. Together, it’s a great blend of fire and ice at the top. Jaiswal as the aggressor, and Rahul grinding it out, always promising to deliver those big runs,” Aaron said.

India off to a flyer against Windies

Those words already seem to be ringing true. After bowling West Indies out for just 162 on Day 1 of the opening Test in Ahmedabad, India are 23/0. Rahul has looked solid on 18* while Jaiswal is on 6*.

It is still early days in the series, but with Rahul looking disciplined as ever and Jaiswal throwing punches up front, India seem to have found a partnership that can set the tone in home conditions.