My Test average hurts but not chasing numbers now, admits KL Rahul after century in 1st Test against England

Indian opener KL Rahul admitted his Test average hurts, but at the same time, he is not chasing milestones in his career. Rahul, 33, is averaging 34.71 after 59 Test matches, which is well below the expected level from him.

The flamboyant batter has got a solid technique for the red-ball format and thus his below-par average is surprising for a lot of cricket boffins. 

Meanwhile, Rahul scored a brilliant knock of 137 runs in the second innings of the opening Test as he batted at the top of his game. The Indian opener added a crucial alliance of 195 runs with Rishabh Pant, who scored a majestic knock of 118 runs.

This was Rahul’s ninth Test century and his eighth while playing in foreign conditions.

“Of course, it hurts when I look at my average. But at this stage, I don’t want to think about numbers. I want to make an impact whenever I get a chance and enjoy playing Test cricket for India. It’s what I grew up loving,” Rahul said on Sky Sports.

Rahul said he is getting runs consistently in the Test format and wants to keep enjoying his cricket in the red-ball version.

“I am just getting runs now. There was a time when I would get starts but not convert them into big scores, especially in Tests. I am much calmer in my head and not chasing numbers anymore. I just want to enjoy my cricket as much as I can,” he added.

Rahul revealed he has worked a lot with former Indian assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, which has helped him improve his game.

“I have worked a lot with him, spent a lot of time with him in 15-18 months. I have gone back to basics, doing time. There was a time when I was in a quality over quantity mindset in international cricket and did not hit enough balls. Now I am back to enjoying hitting a lot of balls in the nets,” said Rahul.

At the time of writing, England needed 102 runs to win, whereas India needed another six wickets.