Rahul is still vying to cement his place in India’s Test squad
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India batsman Lokesh Rahul believes that it is healthy for opener Shikhar Dhawan to have some competition for the opening spot in Tests.
Rahul, who replaced Dhawan atop the order during the fourth Test against Australia in January, missed an opportunity to cement his place as India’s go-to opener during the one-off Test against Bangladesh as he was diagnosed with dengue fever.
With Rahul missing out on the one-off Test against Bangladesh, Dhawan took full advantage after getting another chance as he scored 173.
“Shikhar has done well in the last couple of years,” Rahul told ESPNcricinfo. “I took his spot and he has got it back. I am really happy for him as he batted well. He has been doing well in all formats, and even in Australia I felt he was batting well.
“We would want competition like that. Even if he would not have got those runs in Bangladesh, he was always going to be there as he has done so well for the country. We have a good relationship and we play for the same IPL team. So we talk a lot about batting and he has always helped me.”
Rahul also reminisced about scoring his first Test century, which came in the fourth Test against Australia after he registered scores of three and one during his debut in the third Test.
“It is surprising that Melbourne keeps popping up in my head more often than Sydney,” he said. “I keep watching that innings [in Sydney] – 270 odd balls – and feel like I did something really well.
“That is what I had planned, not to play a lot of shots and play within myself and give myself a chance by spending a lot of time in the middle and wait for the bowlers to make mistakes. I stuck to my plan and did not do anything fancy and did not play any rash strokes. So it was a very satisfying knock not because it was my first international hundred but because I went out there and executed my plan.”
Rahul also believes that people shouldn’t classify him as a Test specialist, especially due to the fact that he boasts a List A average of 41.03.
“I did really well in my first year of domestic one day cricket,” Rahul said. “I was among the top-three run-getters and I enjoy playing the shorter format of the game. I am still young and new to international cricket and there is a lot to learn.
“Shorter formats are something I’m working on. I am sure that the confidence that I get from scoring a lot of runs in four-day cricket can be carried over to the shorter formats and I’m confident that I can be successful there like I have been in days cricket and Test matches.”
While Rahul was disappointed to miss India’s tour of Bangladesh, he has already his set his sights on the future.
“As a player, you just have to tell yourself that there are better things to come,” he said. “Keep yourself motivated and look to the next season and score more runs.”