When KL Rahul was dismissed for 3 and 1 on his Test debut at the MCG, top edging a sweep and a pull respectively, the Australian public and experts found it hard to fathom why the 22-year-old is rated so highly in the Indian cricket circuit.
Those who had followed his first-class career and knew his game, were convinced those dismissals were aberrations. But it was not easy to explain.
One man took up that challenge, of convincing the Australian public of Rahul’s credentials as a Test batsman, in contrast to what they saw at the MCG. And he is an Australian.
During a commentary stint during that Test, Tom Moody suggested that India should promote Rahul at No. 3 in the fourth Test, if not in the second innings at the MCG. Sure enough, Rahul walked ahead of Cheteshwar Pujara in India’s second essay.
“I know his game and his history, and I thought I’d share that knowledge with the Australian public that he is better suited in the top-order,” Moody told BCCI.TV about his prophecy. “He is more at home against the newer ball as he has fantastic technique.”
Moody has seen Rahul closely and has worked with him as the coach of the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the IPL. And his faith in the young man is incredibly strong. It’s not Rahul’s performance in the IPL that warmed him up Moody but his character off the field and batting technique in the nets.
Here’s what the former Australian batsman said as his ward vindicated his belief with an extremely patient and resolute century in the first innings of the Sydney Test.
He opened the batting in place of the dropped Shikhar Dhawan and India had lost the in-form Murali Vijay in the first over. But he went on to score 110 runs full of character and substance. And to Moody it didn’t come as a surprise one bit.
By: BCCI
