KL Rahul's Test career is shrouded by haze - he needs to forcefully peek through

February 18, 2023. It's a hazy morning in Delhi but a few thousand fans still turned up at the Arun Jaitley Stadium to watch India play Australia. In this part of the world, such haze is not uncommon. It is usually followed by the sun forcefully peeking through. So, not many are worried about the slight chill in the air, and the haze that has formed a poignant image at the start of play.

There is, however, one other mist hovering over Delhi. It is not stratospheric and does not bear any atmospheric connotations. It is, in fact, the mist surrounding KL Rahul’s Test career. No one, though, really knows when (or if) this mist will clear up.

After another tentative prod resulted in an lbw against Nathan Lyon on Day 2 of the second Test against Australia, the moans and groans were palpable, both on the ground and presumably on social media. This is, after all, Rahul we are talking about – a cricketer who was supposed to be India’s next big batting superstar, and one capable of going toe-to-toe with the best bowling attacks on the planet.

Here he is, though, struggling to put together a substantial knock and looking a million miles away from the world-class batter he could be. Digging up his recent numbers does not make a lot of sense in this context, partly because they do not help his case anyway, but largely because the way he has been batting is simply not befitting of the talent he possesses.

At Nagpur a few days ago, Rahul perished while having a very loose poke away from his body. Yes, the ball held on the surface, and Todd Murphy must be given credit for deceiving India's vice-captain in the flight. Yet, it was the sort of shot that portrayed how unsure Rahul was of what he was doing. He could have defended it, or he could have attacked it. He ended up doing neither.

In Delhi, things were not very dissimilar. Up until the 14th over, he was pushing, prodding, hanging back, and perhaps even praying not to get dismissed. Then, all of a sudden, on the fifth ball of the 15th over, he danced down the track to Matt Kuhnemann and creamed him for a massive six over long-on.

Almost everyone gaped in awe, for this is not a stroke that a batter perceived to be out of form should be playing. This was a shot that should have gotten Rahul going and should have catapulted him to a higher level. But it did not.

The six, meant to galvanize Rahul, only ended up plunging him further into his shell. He played 12 more deliveries, survived two reviews, scored four runs and walked back to the pavilion. This particular sequence, long after Rahul’s career is over, might not even evoke a mention. For today, though, it explains everything wrong with his batting.

Just to be clear. Rahul is one of the most gifted batters India has ever produced. The strokes that he plays are rivaled by only a few in the world, and the range of shots that he has is more than enough to dominate games of cricket.

What is stopping him then?

It is quite difficult to explain. It is perhaps a combination of a lot of things. In his head, he feels he has to bat a certain way, which seems to add pressure on him and he feels the need to be circumspect rather than cavalier. This then leads to more tentativeness and indecisiveness which has become a prevalent batting pattern lately.

What can he do to turn things around?

Well, that is again very tough to answer. In a country like India, where cricketers are even criticized for breathing, there will be a lot of scrutiny if Rahul does something not expected of him. So, the process of showing application is perhaps what might help him escape that scrutiny.

At this point, though, it is little more than that. This perceived showcasing of application is only clouding his judgment and is leading to him being a quarter of the player he can be.

Remember, this is KL Rahul we are talking about. Of those playing against Australia, he is the only batter (apart from Virat Kohli) to have a Test century in Australia, England, and South Africa. So, talent and his class are clearly not the problems here.

KL Rahul needs to be braver and more courageous

The issue is that he is curbing himself to be someone that he should not be. With his skill set, he should be puffing his chest out every time he walks out to bat and should signal to the opposition that he wants to dominate. Of course, a more cavalier brand of cricket might not tie into the increased consistency that people in India crave. But on days when it works, it would allow Rahul to morph into the match-winner he was always touted to have been.

This pushing, prodding, and poking are not helping India. It is putting pressure on those around him, and his style of batting is making others feel that there are always demons in the pitch. This approach is clearly not helping the Indian vice-captain either, as run-scoring has come to a standstill. What it is also doing is making Rahul question himself and his suitability for Test cricket. That, most certainly, should not be the case, especially for a batter of his stature.

Contrast that to someone like Virat Kohli, who has not hit a Test century in more than three years. Rahul, in that same phase, has hundreds in England and South Africa. Pit both of them against each other, though, and you will not be able to gage who among the two is the batter searching for runs and three-figure scores.

Rahul, according to many, has anyway hit a nadir. While that is a damning assessment for someone who India have high hopes from, it also means that the only way now is upwards. Nothing, at the cost of sounding ridiculous, could get worse for him - even if he gets out slogging the next time he bats.

The haze, as it often happens in Delhi, gives way to something brighter later in the day. For Rahul to mimic that, he needs to forcefully peek through that mist, much like the sun does, and bat with the intention of asserting himself, showing everyone just how buccaneering and commanding he can be.

If that happens, not many will worry and endure sleepless nights over his form (or lack of it). Many will then start realizing just how good Rahul can actually be.