JOIN USSA was a whole new test: Rahul
Back after a gruelling Test series in South Africa, K L Rahul cannot stop emphasising on the value of learning. It is evident that his dismal performance has forced the opener to introspect and work on his game.
Rahul, who wasn't picked for the first Test in Cape Town, accumulated just 30 runs in the four innings he played in the next two Tests in Centurion and Johannesburg. Partly, the Karnataka batsman has only himself to blame for the ordinary outings.
In the second Test, looking in fine control in both the innings, Rahul perished by playing nothing shots. The right-hander, after departing for a duck in the first innings, couldn't build on his start in the second essay in the final Test in Johannesburg
"South Africa was a whole new challenge. We expected pace and bounce. I didn't think there would be so much seam movement. To handle seam movement with pace and bounce was something new. It's a deadly combination and you don't want to be an opener when all these things are happening (laughs). But it was a good learning experience for me. I now know what I need to tweak in my game and where I stand when it comes to my skills," Rahul told reporters here at the Alur 2 ground on Saturday.
Rahul, who joined his State side for the Vijay Hazare Trophy after returning from South Africa, didn't get enough time in the middle as much as he would have wanted. He fell early in the games against Baroda (3) and Assam (22).
"I did get a decent hit in the second game but couldn't carry on. I would have loved to bat on but now I will train hard in the next couple of days before I leave," said the 25-year-old who will leave for South Africa again on Wednesday night for the three-match T20I series starting from February 18.
Before the debacle in the Test series, Rahul had a stellar T20I series against visitors Sri Lanka in which he was adjudged the player of the tournament. The youngster felt he was getting closer to finding a solution to his problem.
"Ups and downs are part of a career. This phase is not exactly a down for me. I am playing well but I am not able to convert. I am not able to spend more time in the middle. I will find the answer soon and may be it takes just one good innings to set things right. It doesn't have to be a 150 but even a 50 can help me. I am somebody who looks at the positives and I believe in learning something new and taking things by my stride" he offered.
Rahul, who has been overlooked in one-day internationals but favoured in Tests and T20Is, isn't affected by the shift in formats. "I understand it can get tough playing in two different formats but I am ready to excel in both. I understand I need to change my style of play and I have worked on it. I didn't do too much in the Test series (in South Africa) so I am looking forward to play the T20Is and get some runs," he said.