After KL Rahul scored a match-saving 70* on Day 1 of the IND vs SA 1st Test, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has come to his defence. Coming into bat when India were 92-4, Rahul saved India from a collapse. Running out of partners on the other end, the wicketkeeper batter ended the rain-hit first day of the Boxing Day Test with a strike rate of 66.67.
Talking about how people criticise KL Rahul despite scoring runs in tough situations, the cricketer-turned-commentator on his YouTube channel said:
“You (India) are not out of the game yet. I feel 208/8 is a decent score. I think this game is hanging in the balance. Someone was saying KL Rahul shouldn’t be played, that he is not doing well, and is being given illegitimate chances.”
“Rahul scored a fifty while batting at No. 6. He scored runs in the first game last time (India’s previous tour of South Africa) as well; I think it was the Boxing Day Test only. He has scored runs in England, he has scored runs in Australia, he has scored runs everywhere, but the world keeps hounding him.” Aakash Chopra further added.
IND vs SA 1st Test: Playing XI
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
South Africa: Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (c), Keegan Petersen, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Kagiso Rabada, Nandre Burger
