"We were in the position to seal the game" - Zaheer Khan on Virat Kohli and KL Rahul's partnership in 3rd IND vs AUS ODI

Former pacer Zaheer Khan believes that KL Rahul's wicket was the turning point in India's crucial ODI series decider against Australia in Chennai on Wednesday, March 22.

He pointed out that the Men in Blue were in the driver's seat when Virat Kohli and Rahul were batting but their run chase went downhill after the latter got out. Rahul tried to take on Adam Zampa but holed out to the long-on fielder.

Here's what he said while speaking to Cricbuzz after India's 21-run loss to Australia in the third ODI:

"We were in the position to seal the game when Virat Kohli and KL Rahul's partnership was building, and the way Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill started and Hardik Pandya upped the ante and batted with that strike rate on this kind of pitch shows that if you apply yourself, you can put bowlers under pressure.

"For the larger part of the chase, India were in control. I think KL Rahul's wicket at that stage was the start of the turning point."

During the discussion, Dinesh Karthik emphasized that while playing on slow pitches, there will be a phase where boundaries will dry out. He noted that KL Rahul tried to up the ante after a quiet period and even had some success in doing so.

Speaking about Rahul's dismissal, the wicketkeeper-batter suggested that the breakthrough propelled Australia to the pole position, adding:

"In these kinds of pitches, which are slightly slow, there will be phases where you don't get boundaries. KL Rahul literally went from second gear to sixth gear. He got a six and a four but wanted to keep going with that momentum. He picked a ball which again could have easily been a six.

"But that shift in gear, there is a transient period in One-Day cricket where you are playing at a sedate pace and then you slightly but steadily take off. If you lose wickets in that phase, the momentum again goes to the bowling side. This happened consistently to us throughout our chase."

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Notably, KL Rahul was promoted to the No.4 spot for the fixture. He stitched together a crucial 69-run partnership for the third wicket alongside Kohli, putting Rohit Sharma and Co. in a commanding position. However, the right-handed batter departed after scoring 32 runs off 50 balls.

"KL Rahul was sedate through it" - Dinesh Karthik on KL Rahul during 3rd wicket stand with Virat Kohli

Dinesh Karthik further stated that Virat Kohli played the role of an accelerator during his partnership with KL Rahul. He mentioned that although Rahul tried to accumulate some quick runs after being set, his fireworks were shortlived.

He claimed that Hardik Pandya, who showed positive intent early on, was forced to slow down after Kohli's untimely dismissal. Elaborating further on India's failed attempt at chasing the 270-run target, Karthik added:

"KL Rahul and Virat Kohli stitched a partnership in which Virat Kohli started positively, but KL Rahul was sedate through it. When KL Rahul started going, he lasted just five to six balls. When Hardik Pandya came, he took on and started playing shots.

"The moment Virat Kohli got out, things changed drastically post that. Hardik went into a shell and wasn't trying to play those big sweeps that he played at the outset. He controlled himself and played to the situation."

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Kohli was out to left-arm spinner Ashton Agar in the 36th over. To make matters worse, Suryakumar Yadav departed on the very next delivery.

Pandya too failed to convert his start into a big one, managing 40 runs off as many balls. The Steve Smith-led side eventually beat India by 21 runs to win the three-match series 2-1.