Former Australia all-rounder Tom Moody has backed KL Rahul to perform well in Australia, especially during the four-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting December 17 in Adelaide. Rahul was included in all three squads – Tests, ODIs and T20Is for the tour of Australia, making a comeback in India’s Test squad having last in whites in August of last year. Moody believes the in-form Rahul, who so far has scored 595 runs at an average of 59.50, will be well on his way with a little confidence.
“They have picked class. He may not have recent form in Test cricket. KL Rahul has class player,” Moody said in a conversation with ESPNCricinfo. “They have selected someone who has experience Down Under. Not every player gets it right the first time. I think he is a three-format player.
“He can easily grab the Test cricket by the scruff of the neck and have an outstanding cricketer. We know he has the game; he just needs confidence in the same.”
It was during the 2014-15 tour of Australia that Rahul made his India debut. He scored 3 and 1 in the third Test in Melbourne but followed it with a maiden Test century in the next game in Sydney. However, Rahul’s last tour of Australia wasn’t the greatest, with the batsman managing to score only 57 runs from three Tests in the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy which India wo, 2-1 to register their first Test series win in Australia in 71 years.
Ever since, Rahul has played just two Tests – the two-match series against West Indies, scoring 101 runs with a best of 44 before getting dropped. He was omitted from India’s Test squad for the tour of New Zealand earlier this year, but was part of the team’s limited-overs set-up and scored runs.
