IND vs SA 2022: "Sometimes such an innings gives you more confidence than an explosive knock" - Parthiv Patel on KL Rahul's gritty unbeaten fifty in first T20I
Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel termed KL Rahul's return to form as one of the biggest takeaways for India from their ongoing home season. The Karnataka-born batter has registered four fifties since his return to the national side in the 2022 Asia Cup.
Rahul missed the majority of Team India's endeavors in 2022 as a result of multiple injuries and a COVID-19 infection. His return got off to a shaky start following a first-ball duck against Pakistan. But he slowly found his rhythm, leading to key knocks and a substantial amount of runs at an encouraging strike-rate.
Great performance and fantastic atmosphere. 🇮🇳 https://t.co/81Vr1htTzJ
Terming KL Rahul's knock in the first T20I against South Africa as crucial, Patel said on Cricbuzz:
"KL Rahul's return to form was also a huge positive. The knock he played on the tough wicket in Thiruvananthapuram was the most crucial one. He showed that he has the ability to play on tricky pitches. I think that sometimes such an innings gives you more confidence than an explosive knock."
Chasing 108 on a green surface against a rampant Proteas pace attack, KL Rahul dug in to remain unbeaten on 51 off 56 deliveries as India secured an eight-wicket win.
He played a knock of a contrasting nature in the ensuing contest in Guwahati. The explosive 28-ball 57-run effort also earned him the Player of the Match award, before he was rested for the third T20I.
"Deepak Chahar and Harshal Patel's cameos are a huge positive for India" - Parthiv Patel
Playing with a batter less in the third and final T20I, Team India were always on the backfoot while chasing a mammoth target of 228 in Indore. Reduced to 120-8 at one stage, India were staring at the prospect of a huge defeat.
However, cameos by Harshal Patel and Deepak Chahar saved India the blushes. Chahar also shared a 48-run partnership for the ninth wicket with Umesh Yadav, before departing for a well-made 31 off 17 deliveries.
Deepak Chahar is an upgrade on Bhuvneshwar Kumar when you consider his batting ability. He offers the same new ball value as Bhuvi & also more suited to the T20 format as a batter. Neither of them are offering death bowling value. Better to play with Chahar in the XI? #INDvSA
Terming the batting performance by the lower order as a huge positive heading into the World Cup, the former player said:
"Deepak Chahar and Harshal Patel's cameos are a huge positive for India. They both have the ability to strike the ball long. Chahar has already won an ODI for India in the past. Harshal Patel has also opened the innings for Haryana. Even though India lost the match, they will be heading with a positive mindset."
The Men in Blue wrapped up the 3-match T20I series against South Africa with a 49-run loss against South Africa. Despite the defeat, Rohit Sharma's side ended the series as winners by a 2-1 margin following their victories in the first two contests.
Has KL Rahul found his rhythm from the limited set of matches ahead of the T20 World Cup? Let us know what you think.