"I want to see an increase of 20-25 in his average" - Harbhajan Singh expects a turnaround in KL Rahul's career after BGT 2024-25 3rd Test knock

Harbhajan Singh expects a turnaround in KL Rahul's career after his fighting knock in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 third Test. He opined that the opener should significantly improve his Test average in the next few years.

Rahul scored 84 runs off 139 deliveries as India reached 252 for nine in their first innings at Stumps on Day 4 (Tuesday, December 17) of the third Test against Australia in Brisbane. He was the only batter in India's top six to score more than 10 runs.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Harbhajan replied in the affirmative when asked whether he sees a turnaround in Rahul's career after his Brisbane knock.

"It should happen, considering the ability he has. He is a proper batter. His technique is excellent and he has the game for Test cricket. He knows how to leave the ball and has all types of shots. He plays spin and fast bowling well. He plays the short ball well, but I want to see an increase of 20-25 in his average," he said.

The former India spinner added that Rahul should average above 50 in Tests.

"Considering his stature and the kind of player he is, his average should be around 50-55. I see a massive scope of improvement from here. He has had an up-and-down career. He has been in and out of the team and couldn't play cricket for a long time due to injury," Harbhajan observed.

Harbhajan expects the stylish batter to improve his average substantially over the next five years.

"I hope he is less injured now and plays continuous cricket. This slot is good for him. He opens and likes to play balls. He plays long innings. We expect his graph to keep moving upwards and when we talk about KL Rahul after five years, it will be enjoyable if the average is 50-55," he stated.

Rahul has aggregated 3,212 runs at an average of 34.53 in 96 Test innings. He has scored 2,782 runs at a slightly better average of 35.67 in 80 Test innings as an opener.

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"I haven't seen any Indian batter play with the control KL Rahul has shown" - Harbhajan Singh

KL Rahul struck eight fours during his 84-run knock. [P/C: Getty]

In the same discussion, Harbhajan Singh praised KL Rahul for the control he has exhibited and his willingness to spend time at the crease.

"I haven't seen any Indian batter play with the control KL Rahul has shown. He has batted terrifically in this entire series. He has played the most balls in this series, more than Travis Head, although he might not have scored as many runs. You feel it's difficult to get him out," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the Karnataka batter played a few exquisite drives apart from looking for singles and doubles.

"The bodyweight is excellent, comes on top of the ball and the hands are so good. He doesn't reach out for the ball and lets it come to him. He played good cover drives and took the game forward through singles and doubles. It was good to see that they stuck him with and made him open," Harbhajan elaborated.

KL Rahul added 67 runs for the sixth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja (77 off 123) after India were reduced to 74/5. Akash Deep (27* off 31) and Jasprit Bumrah (10* off 27) subsequently stitched together an unbroken 39-run last-wicket partnership to help the visitors avoid the follow-on.