“After Yuvraj Singh, we have finally found a batter who is looking set at No. 4-5” - Harbhajan Singh makes big statement on KL Rahul
Former off-spinner Harbhajan Singh reckons that, in KL Rahul, India have a batter who can play the role that Yuvraj Singh performed in the middle order in ODIs. According to Harbhajan, Rahul reads the game very well and knows when to defend and attack.
Rahul was the Player of the Match for his magnificent 97* off 115 balls in the 2023 World Cup match against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday. Set to chase 200, India lost 2/3 in two overs before Rahul and Virat Kohli (85 off 116) added 165 for the fourth wicket to lift India to victory by six wickets.
While discussing India’s win on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan praised [2:00] Rahul and paid him a huge compliment.
“KL Rahul played an unbelievable knock. After Yuvraj Singh, we have finally found a batter who is looking set at No. 4-5. He knows how to take the singles and twos and when to hit the boundaries - when to change the game," he said.
The 43-year-old added that no praise is too high for Rahul and lauded the batter for making a strong comeback from injury and poor form.
“He has been doing well in the last couple of months since comeback. He had a bad last year due to injuries and was out of the team. But the way he has made a comeback, it’s a blessing. I hope he remains fit because he is batting really well. He has a solid defense and his stroke play looks so easy. It is enjoyable watching his batting,” Harbhajan added.
Rahul struck eight fours and two sixes in his knock against Australia. The second maximum off Pat Cummins’ bowling also took India past the finish line.
“The ball he bowled to knock over Smith was the delivery of the match” - Harbhajan on Jadeja
Before Rahul’s batting heroics, left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja hurt Australia, claiming 3/28 with the ball. He cleaned up Steve Smith with a beauty that pitched on middle and hit off.
While praising Jadeja [3:50], the former offie described the delivery that claimed Smith’s wicket as the ball of the match.
“He bowled with the right pace and his seam position was also very good. The ball he bowled to knock over Steve Smith was the delivery of the match," he stated.
“All three spinners bowled really well. Australia seemed to have no plan on how to tackle India’s slow bowlers. Jadeja is the magician over here. He has played a lot of cricket in Chennai. If you look at his record in Chennai, he almost always claims 3-4 wickets,” Harbhajan concluded.
While Jadeja claimed three scalps, Kuldeep Yadav (2/42) and Jasprit Bumrah (2/35) also delivered impressive spells.