Former off-spinner Harbhajan Singh believes that India has a batter in KL Rahul who can fill the position that Yuvraj Singh played at No. 4-5 in ODIs. Rahul, according to Harbhajan, reads the game very well and understands when to defend and when to attack.
Rahul Dravid was named Player of the Match for his brilliant 97* off 115 balls against Australia on Sunday, October 8 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Set to chase 200, India lost 2/3 in two overs before Rahul and Virat Kohli (85 off 116) combined 165 for the fourth wicket, lifting India to a six-wicket win.
Harbhajan Singh lauded Rahul and offered him a great tribute when discussing India’s victory on his YouTube channel. He said:
“KL Rahul played an unbelievable knock. After Yuvraj Singh, we have finally found a batter who is looking set at No. 4-5. He knows how to take the singles and twos and when to hit the boundaries – when to change the game.”
Harbhajan Singh
The 43-year-old said, “No praise is too high for Rahul,” praising the batter for making a tremendous recovery from injuries and bad form. Harbhajan made the following observation:
“He has been doing well in the last couple of months since comeback. He had a bad last year due to injuries and was out of the team. But the way he has made a comeback, it’s a blessing. I hope he remains fit because he is batting really well. He has a solid defense and his stroke play looks so easy. It is enjoyable watching his batting.”
Harbhajan Singh
Rahul’s innings against Australia included eight fours and two sixes. India crossed the finish line with a second maximum off Pat Cummins’ bowling.
Jadeja’s magic ball to dismiss Smith was the best of the match, says Harbhajan Singh
Prior to Rahul’s batting heroics, Australia was damaged by left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who claimed 3/28 with the ball. He got Steve Smith with a strikeout pitching in the middle and hitting off. The former offie praised the delivery that claimed Smith’s wicket as the ball of the match while complimenting Jadeja. According to the former cricketer:
“He bowled with the right pace and his seam position was also very good. The ball he bowled to knock over Steve Smith was the delivery of the match.
“All three spinners bowled really well. Australia seemed to have no plan on how to tackle India’s slow bowlers. Jadeja is the magician over here. He has played a lot of cricket in Chennai. If you look at his record in Chennai, he almost always claims 3-4 wickets,” Harbhajan concluded.
Harbhajan Singh
While Jadeja grabbed three wickets, Kuldeep Yadav (2/42) and Jasprit Bumrah (2/35) also bowled well.