Nasser Hussain lauds KL Rahul, says he has the best cover drive he has seen

Former England captain Nasser Hussain showered praise on KL Rahul for having a strong technical game. Hussain tipped Rahul’s cover drive as the best he has seen. Rahul scored 42 runs in the first innings of the opening Test against England at Leeds, Headingley but could not covert his start as he chased a sixth stump ball before lunch. 

In the second innings, the Indian opener scored a majestic knock of 137 runs and helped India post 364. The flamboyant batter scored 18 fours in his brilliant knock.

“I have huge admiration for KL and the way he bats. He is old school. He plays the ball late. He leaves the ball really well, but he doesn’t go into his shell and just block it. You bowl him a bad ball or front foot or back foot. He just puts it away. He’s one of the best cover drivers I’ve seen in the game. He’s a touch player in the game that’s got so many power hitters in. He’s just got a bit of touch and a bit of class,” Nasser Hussain said on Sky Sports.

Rahul is the senior-most batter on England tour and he is going to hold the key for the visitors. 

In the same discussion, former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri said Rahul is going to hold the key for India after the tourists ended the third day’s play at 90-2.

“Always been a fluent driver and he’s got the defense to counter challenging conditions and especially situations in the game where the ball is swinging or seeming, he’s got the technique. So he becomes now the key man for India. If you’re talking of batting three sessions, that man has to be there for 3 hours at least, you know, if India has to then reach that score where England are chasing 300 plus,” Shastri added.

On the other hand, Indian debutant Sai Sudharsan scored 30 runs in the second innings after he was dismissed on a duck in his debut Test innings. Shastri said the left-hander needs to be a bit upright while playing his shots after he was caught at short midwicket.

“He’ll be looking in that and he’ll say, “I need to be a little more upright. You know, I don’t need to fall over. I have to have a steady head, which would mean I would play a lot straighter instead of looking to work the ball on the on side. It seems as if the position he’s got into, he has no choice but to but to play that shot. But if he’s a lot straighter with his head a little on top of the stumps, the bat will come down straighter and he’ll hit it straighter. Sometimes you have to watch it yourself, to make that adjustment and he will have to make that adjustment because England will keep bowling in that area all the time,” he explained.

England ended the fourth day’s play at 21-0 and need another 350 runs to win with 10 wickets in hand.