Change of plan and attitude helped India conquer Cape Town: KL Rahul

KL Rahul scored a century in the first Test but was not able to contribute much with the bat in the second where India won by seven wickets to level the series

KL Rahul, the centurion from Centurion in the first Test against South Africa, feels that a change in the team's attitude after the first Test loss turned things around in the second Test. India defeated the Proteas in the second Test by seven wickets to register their first-ever Test win at Newlands, Cape Town.

Rahul, while speaking to Star Sports, said there was a bit of change in the planning and attitude of the team. “I mean, we can’t say that we weren’t ready during the last test match. We were ready, but there are situations where the opposition blasts you out of the test match,” Rahul said about the first Test.

 

Always hungry for a Test win

The 31-year-old, who was the first to fall in a series of six wickets for zero runs in India’s first innings in the Newlands Test, said the Indian team is always hungry for a Test win.

'At this point of my career, I'm just happy for the opportunity to contribute for #TeamIndia', says @klrahul, an attitude that has impressed many fans & experts.

Which position do you think he plays his best cricket in?#Cricket #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/dg3mS1n8L5

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 4, 2024

Giving examples of how India have always competed away from home in Tests, Rahul said the team might not have been ready for the first Test, and it was a huge hit for them.

“It speaks volumes of how much we enjoy playing test cricket, how much we value playing for our country, and how much test victories outside of India mean to us. So, it was just a mental shift during the turnaround time of one day,” Rahul said about the turnaround.

More ready this time

Rahul, who could not contribute much with the bat, scoring just eight runs, but took five catches behind the stumps, said the team was more ready for a fight this time than in the first Test.

“We were more ready this time, and we were ready for a fight. We wanted to get this win and just do our job,” he said.

Rahul also conceded that the extra fire was missing in the first Test and credited South Africa for exploiting it. “I think we weren’t 100% during our last match in terms of batting or bowling. They bowled us out very cheaply in both innings. So, we were really happy that we could bounce back so well,” he said.