IND vs SA – “Ice bath and wickets like these…”: KL Rahul’s unique response on ‘tough’ pitch in Thiruvananthapuram | cricket news

The first T20I between India and South Africa was a low-scoring thriller with the hosts prevailing by eight wickets at the end. Pace Arshdeep Singh (3/32) and Deepak Chahar (2/24) had the cue ball talking with some incisive bowling that held South Africa to 106/8. However, the chase was no cakewalk, but Kl Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav scored half a century to take India across the line in 16.4 overs.

On a floor with underlying moisture and rebounds higher than the waist at times, hitters struggled, and Rahul explained it after the game.

“Definitely up there (as the toughest shot). We’ve played in some tough conditions like this, but I don’t have any runs, so it was hard work. It was amazing Surya came out there and played those shots. We’ve seen the balls fly , circling, two beats and all that can be difficult for a batsman who was the wicket today, and for Surya to come with that approach after the first ball hit him, he just woke up and wanted to play his shots, be aggressive and bowling. That helped me take my time and play a winger,” KL Rahul said after the match.

“Long ice bath today. Ice baths and wickets like these are not something we enjoy, but we have to do it sometimes.”

promoted

The pitch which former India head coach Ravi Shastri called on the air “not ideal for T20 cricket” made it difficult for batsmen from both teams to deal with pace and movement.

With PTI inputs