KL Rahul To Bat Again After Injury? India Coach Drops Major Update On Star Ahead Of Day 2
Vice-captain KL Rahul had to retire on 77 and India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said the Bengaluru man is suffering from cramps.
- KL Rahul retired hurt on Day 1 of the 1st Test vs Sri Lanka due to spasms but will bat on Day 2
- Rahul retired on 77 after a 150-run partnership with Devdutt Padikkal, who scored his maiden Test century
- "At the moment, he looks absolutely fine. So he should be good to go tomorrow," said Kotak
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has revealed that vice-captain KL Rahul will be fit to bat again on Day 2 after he retired hurt due to spasms on the opening day of the 1st Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. Rahul had to retire on 77 after stitching an unbeaten 150-run stand with Devdutt Padikkal, who slammed his maiden Test century on Saturday. Rahul was in visible pain and unable to hold his bat, with broadcast images later showing him struggling to climb the stairs.
Rahul needed support from Indian team physio Kamlesh Jain to reach the visitors' dressing room for further treatment.
"KL batted really well. I think he was getting only cramps. So by the end of the day, he was fine. Probably once you start getting cramps, you get it in the hamstring, you get it in the groin, you get it in your hand," said Kotak after the close of play.
"But at the moment he looks absolutely fine. So he should be good to go tomorrow," he said.
But overall, Kotak was delighted to see the flexibility in Rahul's game - batting down the order in white ball formats and opening in Test cricket.
"See, he is someone, when he plays in one-day (match) as if you have seen him, he bats at number 6 or 5. So when you are a senior batsman, and if you are open to bat at any number and help the team, I think that is a great player to have.
"So for a team, he is someone who is very useful. So in a red ball match he opens, in a one-day match he bats wherever required. Now, the way he is batting, he is taking a lot of responsibilities, he is trying to create a lot of partnerships, and that is something really good to have, and he has been very, very consistent," he added.
The Galle pitch largely played smooth on Day one and Kotak thought the deck will offer more help to spinners in the coming days.
"It's on the drier side and it is a pure batting wicket now, normally it comes on to the bat very nicely, it doesn't spin. When you are 288-2, it is a good sign for us. But it is just one day, a long way to go for us. We have to bat well tomorrow. But I don't think it will crack.
"I just think it will offer more turn as the game progresses on day 2, day 3, and day 4. Day 1, batting average is like 53 here. Day 2, it goes down to 38 and Day 3, it's something like 28. So, the overall record shows that as the game progresses, the average run for a batsman is going down noticeably," he explained.
(With Added Inputs)
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