India wicketkeeper KL Rahul appeared to be absolutely befuddled after hitting a match-winning six against Australia in their World Cup 2023 opener on Sunday.
Rahul and Virat Kohli stitched a solid 165-run partnership to earn a memorable six-wicket victory for the hosts in Chennai. Rahul produced a six over the cover region in the 42nd over as Team India scored the winning runs with 52 balls to spare.
Instead of celebrating in sheer jubilation, Rahul seemed a bit puzzled after sealing the win with a maximum. The match-winning shot left Rahul unbeaten on 97. The chance of missing out on a World Cup century by just three runs left Rahul disappointed as the former India vice-captain was seen down on his knees.
Later, KL Rahul himself admitted that he was planning to keep his chances of breaching the three-digit mark alive by hitting a four yesterday. "(Last shot for six) I hit it too well. I wanted to get a hundred by going four and six. Hopefully, some other time I can get it," the 31-year-old said during the post-match presentation ceremony.
Rahul’s terrific unbeaten knock of 97 off 115 deliveries earned him the 'Man of the Match' award.
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Batting first, Australia could only manage to put up a total of 199. India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja picked up three wickets to gain an upper hand for his side. Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav supported Jadeja deftly by scalping two wickets each.
India, however, failed to start their run chase on a promising note having lost three wickets scoring just two runs. It was Rahul and Kohli who weathered the storm masterfully. While Rahul remained unbeaten on 97, Kohli produced a valiant knock of 85 off 116 balls.
“Virat said that I should play like Test cricket for a bit. Happy to play this for the team. There was a bit of help for the fast bowlers early on. Towards the end, the dew played a bit of a part for them. It was still two-paced. It wasn't a great wicket to bat on, neither was it too difficult. I think it was a good cricket wicket, that's what you get in South of India, especially in Chennai,” Rahul said after the game.
In their next match, Rohit Sharma’s men will be up against Afghanistan in Delhi on Wednesday, October 11.
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