KL Rahul’s experience of opening in Tests is worth its weight in gold for

India finished Day 1 of the first Test against South Africa, in Centurion, on 208/8 after only 59 overs of play were possible on a rain-curtailed day. KL Rahul had a great start to the Test match where he will be donning the wicketkeeping gloves for the first time.

The Karnataka cricketer came out to bat at No. 6 and played a defiant knock in testing conditions to save the blushes for the visitors. Rahul remained unbeaten on 70 off 105 balls, stitching crucial partnerships with the likes of Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj. Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar lauded Rahul after the end of the day’s play and noted that his prior experience as a Test opener was worth its weight in gold.

“It’s the overall gambit of skills that he possesses. He’s very good against the new ball, having done that for the majority of his Test career. 25 Test innings as an opener is going to be worth its weight in gold. That will come in handy but that was not the case today,” said Bangar while speaking to Star Sports.

When you bat at multiple positions, it makes you a well-rounded player: Sanjay Bangar

The former India all-rounder explained how batting in different positions benefits a batter. Bangar also hailed KL Rahul for his judgement outside the off-stump. Hence, he lauded his situational awareness towards the game which helped him hold one end from the other side.

“Just the fact that he’s been shuffled from number 1 to number 6, it actually helps your understanding of the game as well. When you bat at multiple positions, it makes you a well-rounded player. You understand situations very well. His judgement outside the off-stump was impeccable, which helped him construct the innings of this quality,” Bangar added.

For South Africa, Kagiso Rabada stood out as he bagged his maiden five-wicket haul against India and 14th overall. Debutant Nandre Burger picked up a couple of wickets while Marco Jansen chipped in with one of Jasprit Bumrah.