KL Rahul Labels Toss As ‘Important’ After Loss At Raipur

KL Rahul shared his views on the toss and the factors that led to India’s disheartening loss at Raipur.

After a high-scoring defeat where India failed to defend 358 runs, captain KL Rahul highlighted the significant impact of the toss in dew-heavy conditions. South Africa’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss, proved crucial as they chased the target with four balls to spare, leveling the series 1-1.

KL Rahul acknowledged the difficulty of bowling second with a wet ball, stating the toss made a substantial difference in the outcome despite his team’s strong batting performance.

At the presentation, Rahul explained, “Not really, considering everything – how much dew there is and how difficult it is to bowl in the second innings… I think toss plays a huge part. So I’m kicking myself about losing two tosses in a row. It’s obviously making a huge difference.”

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KL Rahul Wanted Batters To Add More Runs

KL Rahul reflected on areas for improvement, noting the team aims to add an extra 20-25 runs to cushion the bowlers. “To reflect back there’s always things that we could have done better. With the bat, I know that 350 looks good, but that’s also been the chat in the dressing room… how can we get that extra 20-25 runs,” KL Rahul said.

The total was built on brilliant centuries from Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who shared a 195-run partnership. Rahul praised both, saying, “It was beautiful to watch… Just to see the way Rutu batted was beautiful.”

Despite the powerful start, India’s finish was less explosive, adding 103 runs in the last 15 overs. Rahul, who scored an unbeaten 66, discussed the batting order strategy. “Obviously batting at 5-6-7 [could be looked at],” he said, explaining his promoted entry was a tactical decision made with coach Gautam Gambhir to maintain momentum, which ultimately didn’t pay off in the mammoth chase.