KL Rahul’s preparation: Will he now overpower Sri Lanka?
KL Rahul is preparing for a field-like pitch because he expects to face a similar pitch in Sri Lanka. India’s first match is scheduled to be played in Galle, where the ball turns heavily. Sri Lanka has good spinners who spin the ball with good length. Rahul knows that good footwork and technique will be crucial for hitting in Sri Lanka. Rahul is further honing both of these strengths.
Rahul Fails in Sri Lanka
This practice is crucial for KL Rahul because his record in Sri Lanka is extremely poor. He has only managed to score 268 runs at an average of 33.5 in five Tests in Sri Lanka. Rahul has scored a century and two half-centuries in Sri Lanka. The good news is that the last time KL Rahul visited Sri Lanka, he scored half-centuries in two consecutive Tests. However, those innings were in 2017.
Performance Against Spin in the Last Five Tests
KL Rahul has been dismissed by spinners five times in the last five Tests. Interestingly, four of those five times he has given his wicket to left-arm spinners. Rahul has been dismissed twice each by West Indies’ Warrican and South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj. He was dismissed once by off-spinner Harmer. Sri Lanka also has a formidable left-arm spinner in Prabhat Jayasuriya. This is why Rahul is trying to turn his weakness into a strength. Sri Lanka has taken a remarkable step, now it will dominate Sri Lanka.