India vs South Africa: 'Instinct and hard work' fuel KL Rahul's fluid knock

With bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah's injured back adding to Rahul Dravid-coached side's growing uncertainties over a perfect team combination going into the upcoming T20 World Cup Down Under, Rahul's coming back into his fluid best augurs well for the highest-ranked T20 team in the world. Much has been talked about his slow T20I half-century in Thiruvananthapuram – the slowest ever in T20I history by a player from a Test nation – but on Sunday the wristy Bangalorean rose to the occasion when India were asked to bat first and scored at a strike rate of 200-plus to set the platform for the next batters to take the score to 237. Some delicious hits by Rahul — flicked off the pads onto the stands — made not just the Guwahati spectators delirious with joy but the lanky batter assured that he is in a perfect head space and balance.

Asked if the sixes were effortless and instinctive as it looked from the stands, Rahul said at the post match press conference after India's series-sealing win on Sunday, "There is a certain gift that all of us have gotten since birth and that is why we are playing for the country. We obviously train really hard. "That shot is something that I have practised a lot and it feels nice when it comes off in the game.

So, it is instinctive. In T20 cricket you have to try to get yourself in positions where you can hit sixes, I try to do that. When bowlers are bowling at 145 kmph there's not much time.

It is instinct and a lot of hard work over the years." "Going at a higher strike rate was a demand. When you are batting first you obviously want to give yourself a couple of overs to assess the conditions to see what are the shots you can play, you talk to your partner. You sort of give yourself a target