CHENNAI: The last time KL Rahul stepped onto the SuperSport Park in Centurion to play in a Test in 2021, it turned out to be a match to remember for him and the Indian team. The opener scored a splendid century as India beat South Africa by 113 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Days after that Test, Rahul was thrown into the deep end as he had to lead the country in the next match as then captain Virat Kohli missed the game due to a back spasm.
While it is the highest honour for any cricketer, the crown came with a burden. Rahul scored a fifty in the first innings, but India lost the match and the momentum. Kohli was back for the third Test, but the hosts, led by Dean Elgar, piled on, securing a come-from-behind series win in Cape Town.
Two years on, he is back in Centurion, and this time, too, there is a massive challenge in front of him as India are getting ready for the boxing day Test in Centurion. Rahul is not an opener anymore. Neither is Shubman Gill. Yashasvi Jaiswal is expected to take guard with Rohit Sharma at the other end. If Rahul plays, it will be as a middle-order batter who keeps wickets.
In ODIs, the Karnataka batter has made the No. 5 slot his own and has kept wickets in Rishabh Pant's absence.
However, doing the same in the longest format is a different ball-game. He will have to keep wickets through 90 overs of play, come back the next day and do it all over again. India do have KS Bharat in the squad, whose glovework is a thing of a beauty in itself. And yet, what tilts the balance in Rahul's favour is his ability with the bat.
Although he has batted only once in the middle-order, on his debut, Rahul has shown that he is capable of adapting. And with the team management looking for batting depth, Rahul's chances of playing seems better than ever.
In fact, head coach Rahul Dravid called it an exciting challenge, before adding that his namesake is keen on taking it up.
"With Ishan (Kishan) not being available this opportunity came up, we had a couple of keepers to choose from and Rahul is one of them. We had discussed with him and he was very confident and was keen on giving it a go," Dravid said on Sunday.
"We do understand it is not something he has done as often (keeping in Tests). But he has been doing it regularly in 50-overs cricket and that takes a lot out of your body. He has prepared well over the last five to six months, he has done a lot of keeping, even though it is in white-ball format, but this will be an exciting challenge for him," he added, reiterating that not having to keep for spinners over a long period of time could ease Rahul into the role.
A lot has changed for Rahul since the last time he played a Centurion Test. Should he play on Tuesday, the one thing he would hope for is to have the same kind of luck he had last time around.
