<p>Canberra: Young Yashasvi Jaiswal gave another demonstration of a batter destined for greatness with a dazzling 161 in the second innings of the Perth Test. Virat Kohli reminded everyone of cricket’s old adage “form is temporary and class is permanent” with vintage 100 in the same innings. Sandwiched between these two show-stealing knocks was KL Rahul’s workmanlike 77 (176b, 5x4) which was as crucial as the other two knocks in the context of the game but perhaps less acknowledged or appreciated for it lacked the flair of Jaiswal and the flamboyance of Kohli.</p>.<p>That’s the way of the world. Everyone raves about Red Bull’s driver Max Verstappen, who won his fourth successive Formula One title last week, but not many know the man behind the beast the Dutchman drives. Without the cutting edge features in the car, Verstappen wouldn’t have retained his crown but how does it matter?</p>.Don't judge Kohli on current form, Australia series could change it all: Ricky Ponting.<p>Rahul’s knock played a similar role in India’s second innings. His assured presence in the middle, relieved pressure off Jaiswal who had fallen for an eight-ball duck in the first innings. Without going into a complete shell, a miscalculation Marnus Labuschagne did in Australia’s first innings when he fell for a 52-ball two, Rahul provided stability at one end. This encouraged Jaiswal to play his natural game without being reckless for every time the youngster appeared to cross the thin line between being carefree and careless, Rahul would caution him.</p>.<p>Rahul fell on the third morning after sharing a 201-run stand with Jaiswal, a foundation that allowed Kohli to bat without additional pressure.</p>.<p>“I think what he has done is he has eased up the pressure on Yashasvi Jaiswal,” said former India captain Sun Gavaskar to host broadcaster StarSports. “You have a partner at the other end who’s looking so secure, like Rahul is doing, then the other partner who’s got more strokes, who’s a little more adventurous in playing shots, and that’s what happened. So Yashasvi Jaiswal has actually flowered in his company. You can say that because he’s seen the solidity of Rahul. </p>.Kohli rekindles Aussie love affair .<p>“Rahul hasn’t missed out on his scoring opportunities. It’s been a very, very good innings. It’s been what you would call a proper five-day Test match innings.”</p>.<p>The Karnataka batter didn’t look any different either in the first innings when he was controversially given out by the TV umpire when he was on 26. He looked composed and assured with a clarity of mind that he hasn’t been accused of displaying in recent times. </p>.<p>There used to be a phase at the start of his Test career when Rahul would either score a century or nothing. Then there was a time when he would score only half-centuries, nothing less but no hundred either. In the last few years though he has been facing a different situation wherein, after every innings that reasserts his class, he inexplicably slips into a lean patch.</p>.<p>“Every time he plays well, you can see how exceptional he is,” former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar told ESPNCricinfo. “You can understand why the team management keeps going back to him. My thing about Rahul is after the 100. When he plays that one innings it’s unbelievable that his game just slips. It just falls off the clip after he has played a great innings. In South Africa where he got that 100, maybe in a losing cause, but his run started after that. He is actually one of those guys who gets a 100 to get into a rut. When he gets the 100, he looks the part, love him for it.</p>.<p>“My eyes will be on this batter, who has played more than 50 Test matches, how he carries his form. Once he did it against Australia at home where he was getting runs virtually every innings. He didn’t get a big score but the story has been one big score and lots of low scores. Let’s hope for everyone’s sake, and for us to enjoy batting, he is able to take off this time rather than nose dive.” </p>.<p>While that would be everybody’s wish, the question that arises now is if the stylish right-hander continue to open with Jaiswal with the imminent return of skipper Rohit Sharma or drop down the order at five-six?</p>.<p>Given that Rohit bats, more or less, in a similar fashion as that of Jaiswal, India would do well not to disturb the status quo in which case Rahul continues to open and Rohit goes down the order, a job he did decently on tours of 2018-19 and 2020-21. </p>
<p>Canberra: Young Yashasvi Jaiswal gave another demonstration of a batter destined for greatness with a dazzling 161 in the second innings of the Perth Test. Virat Kohli reminded everyone of cricket’s old adage “form is temporary and class is permanent” with vintage 100 in the same innings. Sandwiched between these two show-stealing knocks was KL Rahul’s workmanlike 77 (176b, 5x4) which was as crucial as the other two knocks in the context of the game but perhaps less acknowledged or appreciated for it lacked the flair of Jaiswal and the flamboyance of Kohli.</p>.<p>That’s the way of the world. Everyone raves about Red Bull’s driver Max Verstappen, who won his fourth successive Formula One title last week, but not many know the man behind the beast the Dutchman drives. Without the cutting edge features in the car, Verstappen wouldn’t have retained his crown but how does it matter?</p>.Don't judge Kohli on current form, Australia series could change it all: Ricky Ponting.<p>Rahul’s knock played a similar role in India’s second innings. His assured presence in the middle, relieved pressure off Jaiswal who had fallen for an eight-ball duck in the first innings. Without going into a complete shell, a miscalculation Marnus Labuschagne did in Australia’s first innings when he fell for a 52-ball two, Rahul provided stability at one end. This encouraged Jaiswal to play his natural game without being reckless for every time the youngster appeared to cross the thin line between being carefree and careless, Rahul would caution him.</p>.<p>Rahul fell on the third morning after sharing a 201-run stand with Jaiswal, a foundation that allowed Kohli to bat without additional pressure.</p>.<p>“I think what he has done is he has eased up the pressure on Yashasvi Jaiswal,” said former India captain Sun Gavaskar to host broadcaster StarSports. “You have a partner at the other end who’s looking so secure, like Rahul is doing, then the other partner who’s got more strokes, who’s a little more adventurous in playing shots, and that’s what happened. So Yashasvi Jaiswal has actually flowered in his company. You can say that because he’s seen the solidity of Rahul. </p>.Kohli rekindles Aussie love affair .<p>“Rahul hasn’t missed out on his scoring opportunities. It’s been a very, very good innings. It’s been what you would call a proper five-day Test match innings.”</p>.<p>The Karnataka batter didn’t look any different either in the first innings when he was controversially given out by the TV umpire when he was on 26. He looked composed and assured with a clarity of mind that he hasn’t been accused of displaying in recent times. </p>.<p>There used to be a phase at the start of his Test career when Rahul would either score a century or nothing. Then there was a time when he would score only half-centuries, nothing less but no hundred either. In the last few years though he has been facing a different situation wherein, after every innings that reasserts his class, he inexplicably slips into a lean patch.</p>.<p>“Every time he plays well, you can see how exceptional he is,” former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar told ESPNCricinfo. “You can understand why the team management keeps going back to him. My thing about Rahul is after the 100. When he plays that one innings it’s unbelievable that his game just slips. It just falls off the clip after he has played a great innings. In South Africa where he got that 100, maybe in a losing cause, but his run started after that. He is actually one of those guys who gets a 100 to get into a rut. When he gets the 100, he looks the part, love him for it.</p>.<p>“My eyes will be on this batter, who has played more than 50 Test matches, how he carries his form. Once he did it against Australia at home where he was getting runs virtually every innings. He didn’t get a big score but the story has been one big score and lots of low scores. Let’s hope for everyone’s sake, and for us to enjoy batting, he is able to take off this time rather than nose dive.” </p>.<p>While that would be everybody’s wish, the question that arises now is if the stylish right-hander continue to open with Jaiswal with the imminent return of skipper Rohit Sharma or drop down the order at five-six?</p>.<p>Given that Rohit bats, more or less, in a similar fashion as that of Jaiswal, India would do well not to disturb the status quo in which case Rahul continues to open and Rohit goes down the order, a job he did decently on tours of 2018-19 and 2020-21. </p>