KL Rahul Reveals Secret To Success On Australia Pitches, Says "Respect..."

Tightening up defence and giving bowlers respect in the first 30 overs of an innings has been the mantra to KL Rahul's success during the ongoing series against Australia in which his other India teammates have struggled. Rahul has by far looked the most assured Indian batter on the tour and it was on display once again on Tuesday when he produced a gritty 84 off 139 balls in challenging conditions, contributing immensely to the visitors' 252 for nine on day four of the third Test here. After India managed to avoid follow-on in the rain-hit game, Rahul turned up for the media interaction and was expectedly asked about his style of play compared to the struggling Indian lot.

"See I'm quite certain that everybody has their own set plans... You also need to have a bit of luck as a top-order batter.

"Just a little bit that goes your way if you can get through those first 10-15 overs and get a bit of confidence then you start feeling good and you start enjoying playing with the Kookaburra ball with the pace and bounce here in Australia," said Rahul who has reaped the benefits of playing close to his body.

Rahul has been a picture of patience and perseverance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy while the other Indian batters have been found wanting against the new ball.

What has made Rahul's success more remarkable is that he was not the first-choice opener before the start of the series. He did well in the first Test and then skipper Rohit Sharma decided to drop himself down the order.

Tighten up your defence in first 30 overs

The classy right-hander said it is all about sticking to the basics in overseas conditions and that includes giving due respect to the bowlers when the ball is hard and new.

"It's just about getting