He was very disappointed with his careless act that he had to pull his weight with great difficulty on his way back to the pavilion
He was batting like a dream to score for seven and a half hours until one reckless shot to an equally poor delivery was enough to bring KL Rahul back to reality. Having batted beautifully to score 199, the anxiety of scoring that all-important single to take him to 200 did him in.
He was very disappointed with his careless act that he had to pull his weight with great difficulty on his way back to the pavilion. He was so shocked at missing the maiden Test double century that whatever his team-mates told him on his return to the dressing room did not seem to enter his ears.
It was until a little while before he came to accept that he had missed out on 200. "Well, it's been a good day till I got out," the 24-year-old Rahul said at the end of Day 3 here. "I was looking to play positively, everything was going my way, I was hitting the ball in the middle and the chances that I took came off. But I was just unfortunate that the pressure of getting a double hundred got to me. Scoring 199 runs isn't easy but missing out on a double hundred obviously hurts. But, I'll go back home happy that I got a 199 crucial runs for my team."
Batting for so long, having begun post tea on Saturday and continuing until about 20 minutes before the day's play ended on Sunday also tested the fitness of Rahul, who has missed Tests in between due to injury. He said he "has to be grateful for getting a 100 under my name".
"Two hundred for a batsman is a big landmark and I've never been somebody who has chased landmarks. But getting a 200 will always be a proud moment for a batsman and I'm gutted that I missed out. But, it has been a tough couple of months for me, a few injuries, and I just have to be grateful that I went out there and got a 100 under my name."
The series, according to Rahul, has been of mixed emotions. He could not recollect what was spoken at the dressing room after he returned falling to leg-spinner Adil Rashid. "I was just shut off. I couldn't hear what was being said. There were a lot of boys who came up to me and said something but I was just disappointed. It's hard, it's never easy to get out on 199. I got my first international duck in Visakhapatnam, and now getting out on 199. I am going through a lot of emotions in this Test series. Like I said, I have to be just happy with the way I batted."
Rahul was involved in a 161-run partnership for the fourth wicket with his childhood friend and Karnataka team-mate Karun Nair, who was batting on 71 and looking strong for a maiden century in only his third Test.
"It was very important to get that partnership for the team," Rahul said. "Karun and I have played our cricket together since we were 11. His family was here watching the game and both our families will be proud watching us both play together. It was their dream as well when we started playing cricket. We have done things together. I am very happy that Nair is still batting after getting his 50. He has looked confident and it was important for him to get these runs as well."
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