"If your opening partnership becomes so strong consistently, you will never be looking back" - Aakash Chopra lauds Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul
Aakash Chopra has termed the opening combination of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul a huge positive for Team India. He added that there is no looking back for the side if the pair continue to perform consistently.
The lack of runs from their opening combination, especially in overseas conditions, has been a huge headache for India for a considerably long while. The duo of Sharma and Rahul seem to have resolved the issue for now and will hope to continue in the same vein.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra pointed out that India will only go upwards from here if Sharma and Rahul continue to string together partnerships consistently. He said:
"Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul is a new opening pair. If your opening partnership becomes so strong consistently, you will never be looking back."
The former Indian opener highlighted that the pair had gone one better in this Test match after the 97-run opening partnership they had stitched together in the Nottingham Test. Chopra explained:
"They did a very good performance at the start in the last match as well. First innings of this Test match on Day 1, it was like supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. You had lost the toss, the opposing team had opted to field, there was some moisture and the overhead conditions were quite heavy."
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul added 126 runs for the first wicket in the most trying conditions seen during the Lord's Test.
"It was just unreal" - Aakash Chopra on Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul's partnership
Aakash Chopra lauded Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul for complementing each other in the middle. He observed:
"First Rohit Sharma dominates, after that Rahul dominates. An opening partnership of more than 100 with that kind of class, panache, potential, promise and pedigree. It was just unreal."
The 43-year-old concluded by stating that both Sharma and Rahul have shown that they can rise to the occasion whenever required. Chopra elaborated:
"The way Rohit is batting, of course he played the pull shot to get out in the second innings, but Rohit's class is beyond doubt and KL Rahul showed his range. Whenever you want, you can call upon either of them and you will find that they are very very good, efficient and effective."
Sharma and Rahul will hope to carry the same momentum into the remaining three Tests of the five-match series. With India opting to play five frontline bowlers, they would need solid opening partnerships to put up formidable scores on the board.