KL Rahul’s Plan Revealed To Counter Sri Lankan Spinners In Upcoming Test Series

KL Rahul in action for India [Source: BCCI]

KL Rahul’s return to the top of the batting order in Tests has seen some formidable improvement in his performances over the last couple of seasons. However, his batting against spin has been under the scanner for a long time. This was also evident during the South Africa home series, where 3/4 dismissals came against spin.

The two-match tour of Sri Lanka, starting August 15, will again be a test for the Indian batters. How they fare on spin-friendly tracks on the tour would decide their fate in the World Test Championship 2025-27. Hence, the preparations have been meticulous.

KL Rahul adds new training drill to tackle spin vs SL

The Indian team has reached Colombo well ahead of the start of the series. Their issues against spin are well documented, so the staff and players don’t want to leave any stone unturned. They will also face Sri Lankan XI in a four-day match in Colombo from August 7.

Notably, it was reported earlier in the day that the Indian management was unhappy with the green wickets provided to prepare for the series. Nonetheless, opener KL Rahul has innovated a special drill along with the coaching staff, which allowed him to practice against spin.

As reported by Times Now, during the training session, the experienced batter wanted to play on the pitch, where they had to tackle rough. But due to the greenery, it did not produce any natural rough; hence, Rahul decided to bat around the bowlers’ landing area on the practice pitches.

This allowed him to bat around the rough from bowlers’ footmarks, and he practised conventional sweeps and slog sweeps on throwdowns by Morne Morkel and Sitanshu Kotak.

The same drill was then suggested to the likes of Saransh Jain, Manav Suthar and Gurnoor Brar by the coaches.

Also Read: Shubman Gill Adds To India's Injury Woes In Sri Lanka

Why is KL Rahul practising sweeps ahead of Sri Lanka Tests?

For the last few years, India's batting against spin has been below par, and a huge criticism from former players and experts has been the lack of sweeps. No Indian players, apart from Shubman Gill, are very good sweepers of the ball.

KL Rahul practising both conventional and slog sweeps shows his intent to have the shot in his armoury, so there are more scoring options in some testing conditions.

Additionally, KL Rahul’s record in Sri Lanka has been underwhelming. In 5 Test matches played in Sri Lanka, he has only scored 268 runs at an average of 33.50. This record is despite having three scores of 108, 57 and 85 — he has five single-digit scores while travelling in Sri Lanka.

Left-arm orthodox has particularly troubled him, and how he plays Prabath Jayasuriya would be interesting to watch.

Why should India be vary of Sri Lanka's spinners?

Since January 2020, Sri Lanka have played 21 Tests at home, where a total of 327 wickets have been taken by their bowlers.

Interestingly, only 63 of those 327 scalps, i.e., 19.26 per cent, have been picked by the pacers, while the spinners have taken 264 (80.73 per cent) wickets. Hence, how KL Rahul and co. play spin in these conditions will be observed closely.

Prabath Jayasuriya has been the biggest threat in recent years, having picked 96 wickets in 26 innings. Their squad for the series is yet to be announced.

Also Read: Why Captain Shubman Gill Can Be The Ace Up India's Sleeve On His Maiden Sri Lanka Tour