Follow UsKL Rahul in England is a tale of two halves. In his first tour of 2018, Rahul struggled to cope with the movement and more often than not, went back to the pavillion early. However, things changed in the first Test of that tour, when an assured Rahul looked set to get a big one, but it was in the second innings that he really showed his prowess, slamming 149 in the fourth innings at The Oval.
From that Test to now, Rahul has slammed over 600 runs at 55, which include two tons and two fifties.
His century at Headingley has further established that he is right up there among the best openers in the world, at least when it comes to England, for now.
Most centuries by an Indian opener in England
3 - KL Rahul
2 - Rahul Dravid
2 - Sunil Gavaskar
2- Vijay Merchant
2 - Ravi Shastri
For someone who slammed a century in his debut Test series in Australia, coping with the conditions in England proved to be a challenge. However, since that ton at The Oval, he has turned a corner. His leaving has improved and more importantly, his shot selection has been a little more sensible.
Despite playing alongside extravagant stroke-makers like Rishabh Pant and even at times Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul has not tried to match them shot for shot, and in his own way has brought a sense of calm to the batting line-up.
He is no stranger to donning new roles, as he has done so efficiently in One-Day Internationals (ODI), and even in Tests at times, batting up and down the order. However, in England, he has been India's designated opener for some time. Be it opening with Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Rohit Sharma or now Jaiswal, Rahul has been a constant.
Most 50+ scores for an India opener in SENA countries
19 - Sunil Gavaskar (57 inns)
9* - KL Rahul (42 inns)
9 - Virender Sehwag (49 inns)
9 - Murali Vijay (42 inns)
In the ongoing Test at Headingley, the pitch has not deteriorated much over the four days, and Rahul, as a result, has left the ball on line. Anything outside off, Rahul is happy to leave it. For someone who likes to play inside the line of the ball, leaving the ball outside off is a trait that perhaps comes naturally.
Not to forget, in between all this, his drives through the covers have been a treat to the eyes. His balance and his follow-through have certainly stood out.
India are entering a new era under Shubman Gill, and Rahul has stamped his authority early. With no Virat Kohli or Rohit, Rahul will have to shoulder the responsibility of being one of the most experienced players in the side. India would hope that the Karnataka batter goes from strength to strength from here.