Rahul: I’m quite used to going up and down the order

“Yeah, I do [enjoy batting at the top] – I mean, I won’t lie,” Rahul informed Star Sports after taking India house in the semi-final. “It’s after opening the batting in Australia in Test matches [in the last series] and having to face that attack in Australia. And, you know, red-ball [cricket] is much harder. I opened the batting there and then to come here and bat low seems a bit different, but this is how I’ve played white-ball cricket in the last four-five years.

“I’m quite used to going up and down the order, so I’m simply completely happy getting an opportunity to play in the center and no matter function is given, I feel it is actually helped me perceive my recreation much more and I’ve had to work on boundary-hitting much more in the final yr or so, as a result of the final ODI we performed in Sri Lanka I batted at No. 6, so I knew that is the place I’ll be batting and [we] wanted a left-hander in the prime order.”

Before the Champions Trophy, there was a toss-up between Rahul and Rishabh Pant for the keeper-batter’s spot, but Rahul, the incumbent, eventually got the nod. On Tuesday, Rahul went out to bat at the fall of Axar’s wicket, with India needing 86 in 15 overs with six wickets in hand on a tricky Dubai surface. When Virat Kohli holed out for 84, it appeared like Australia had an opening, but Rahul slammed the doors on them with an unbeaten 42 off 34 balls, including two fours and two sixes. After putting India in the final, Rahul was asked how he dealt with the uncertainty around his role.

“It’s since I feel 2020 that I’ve batted at No. 5 and numerous instances individuals neglect that that is the place I’ve been batting,” Rahul said. “And each time I carry out in a collection and then there is a break from ODI collection, ODI cricket, and then we come again after 4 or 5 months there is a query mark once more about ‘oh properly, will he play in the XI, the place does he match’ and generally I’m sitting there considering what extra can I do. Everywhere that I’ve been requested to play I’ve performed, and I really feel like I’ve carried out my function, no matter’s been informed to me by Rohit [Sharma]…

“And whatever he’s told me I feel like I’ve done that to the best of my ability. And I know that Rohit feels the same and he’s always supported me and backed me with that. So there’s that confidence going into game that the captain has my back.”

Though Dubai had rolled out a recent pitch for the semi-final, it was nonetheless gradual and conducive to spin. It was a kind of pitches the place it was troublesome to rotate strike, so Rahul felt that it was value taking a danger each over, particularly when Kohli was in supreme management at the different finish. Rahul took Tanveer Sangha, Ben Dwarshuis and Adam Zampa for a brace of fours and a six in fast succession earlier than Kohli was caught at long-on. Hardik Pandya did his job but in addition holed out later, and Rahul received the job finished with Ravindra Jadeja.

“When I walked in and when I played ten-12 balls, I told him that you’re the batter that needs to go on and be there till the end, and let me try and hit or let me try and take one chance an over,” Rahul mentioned of his chat with Kohli. “Because we only needed 6 runs an over. But 6 runs an over on that wicket seemed like 8-8.5. So, you had to take one chance an over, one boundary or one six.

“So, I informed him that I’ll try this and why do not you simply rotate the strike and be there since you’re the set batter and it could be more durable [for me]. If you get out one other batter comes, it turns into quite a bit more durable. But yeah, he felt prefer it was in his vary to hit and yeah, he did not time it properly.”