Rahul happy to end century wait

Honestly, I didn’t know what to make of it, whether I was in form or out of form. I kept getting the fifties, and getting out. KL RAHUL, India batsman

CARDIFF: KL Rahul did brilliantly after getting a chance to bat at No 3, scoring a swashbuckling hundred at Old Trafford, but it’s the opening slot that he covets.

It’s not that he was complaining, just declaring his preference ahead of the second game. “I have always batted at the top of the order, that’s where I would love to bat. No 1 and 2 is what I am most comfortable in. Shikhar (Dhawan) got out early (at Old Trafford) and it still felt like I was opening the batting; it gives me a chance to get my eye in and even use the powerplay. Whatever chances I get, I should make the most of it. Very happy I got to bat up the order,” said Rahul.

To accommodate Rahul at No 3, skipper Virat Kohli came in at No 4. The move paid off with the Bangalore batsman smashing an unbeaten 101 off 54 balls to win the game for India. Rahul is batting at his best but competition for slots is intense in this batting line-up with Rohit Sharma and Shikhar entrenched as openersn.

Rahul got the monkey off his back, having gone without a century since December 2016, when he scored 199 against England in the Chennai Test. Since then he had a string of half-centuries, including a couple of 90s, but the three-figure mark eluded him. His last ton in T20 was in August 2016 (110 no v WI), and in ODIS in June 2016 (100 no v Zimbabwe).

“I was batting well, but somehow I couldn’t get to the three-figure mark, so it was quite frustrating. Being in and out of the team, injuries and sickness, it was all playing on my mind and it kept frustrating me even more. I realised somewhere down the line that it is still better than getting out on single figures and stopped worrying about three figures. I wanted it really bad and I’m very happy it came here in England, in the first game of the series. Hopefully, I can carry that confidence forward and make it big.”

Rahul attributed his impressive show to desire: “It’s how badly I want to be in the middle and do it for the team (after being in and out ).”