Bengaluru: Over the past couple of seasons every time K.L. Rahul does well, the comparison with his namesake legend Rahul Dravid is drawn.
The 22-year-old, who takes confidence from the comparison was recently endorsed by the stalwart for a place in the team for the Test Series against Australia beginning next month.
Even as the news of his inclusion in the national squad was broken to the Mangalore-born Rahul during a drinks break, while playing against Tamil Nadu in the K.S Subbaiah Pillai Trophy in Secunderabad, his focus was on the match rather than the selection he has been dreaming of since childhood.
That speaks volumes for his commendable intent and focus, which saw him score twin hundreds (185, 130) for South Zone in the Duleep Trophy final last month.
“It hasn’t really sunk in. My name was doing the rounds and I had my fingers crossed for the past week. I was eager for the selections to be over and I’m happy it is over.
It has always been a dream to be a part of the Indian Test team, today had to be the day. I’m glad the selectors have shown faith in me and given me a big opportunity,” said the youngster who was flooded with so many calls that’s he hadn’t found time to share his joy with his parents until late evening.
The youngster with the temperament of a seasoned campaigner comes into the team on the strength of an inspiring performance in the last season for the Ranji Trophy winning side Karnataka.
“When you play any sport you know there is going to be pressure. When we play, we expect challenges and look to overcome them. I just want to work hard on fine tuning my skills. When I get a chance, I will do my country and myself proud,” explained Rahul.
Although Rahul was a part of the India ‘A’ squad which toured Australia in July this year, he feels the conditions will vary vastly.
“When we toured Australia earlier this year, the wicket was a lot slower than expected, so I can’t really say I’m feeling confident and I’m used to the conditions. The conditions will be different.
The bounce and pace of the wicket will vary. I have some time on hand before we head to Australia, so I’ll work on a few things in my batting. I’m looking forward to the challenge,” said Rahul.
