Darren ganga

Narendra Modi Stadium: Senior opener K.L. Rahul’s calm and composed unbeaten half-century on Thursday drew high praise from former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel, who believes the right-hander is in the midst of his finest year in Test cricket. Rahul’s 53 not out off 114 balls steered India to 121/2 in 38 overs at stumps on day one of the first Test against West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium, trailing the visitors by just 41 runs.

Parthiv, speaking on JioHotstar’s lauded Rahul’s maturity. “KL Rahul was outstanding today; he carried on his form from the England tour. Before that series, there were concerns about his form, but I thought he took responsibility really well. It’s very important when a team is going through a transition that your senior players step up, and that’s exactly what KL Rahul did in England. Today, as well, he played the situation really well. The West Indies opening bowling pair was disciplined, and KL gave them the respect they deserved. He gave himself that time to settle, and once he was set, we saw him using his feet and rotating the strike.”

Parthiv added that Rahul looks more assured than ever. “He looks much more in control and settled now. I think that hundred against Australia A also gave him a lot of confidence, because when you head into a Test series after scoring so many runs, it makes a difference. It’s been an outstanding year for K.L. Rahul, his second-best after 2017. I think he will surpass that record this year because he is looking in very good shape.”