KL Rahul faced criticism for attempting to complete his century before lunch at Lord’s, a move reportedly contributing to Rishabh Pant’s dismissal moments before the break.
Robin Uthappa Questions Criticism Over KL Rahul’s Century Timing at Lord’s
Former India batter Robin Uthappa has weighed in on the debate about KL Rahul’s century at Lord’s, questioning the outrage over him reaching the milestone before lunch. Rahul, who returned to the opener’s role after Rohit Sharma’s retirement, has impressed with two centuries in the series, anchoring the innings and providing stability for the team.
Despite this, Rahul faced criticism for prioritizing his century timing, which allegedly contributed to Rishabh Pant’s dismissal just before the lunch break. Uthappa challenged critics to ask Rahul directly about his thought process behind aiming for the milestone before lunch.
“Did anyone ask him why he deemed getting his 100 important before the lunch break? There must have been a reason. Why was that a thought? Why was that deeply considered? If someone asked him why, we would have gotten to the bottom of this whole thing about milestones,” Uthappa said on his YouTube channel.
‘Uthappa decodes Rahul-Pant’s thought process’
India had gained control before lunch, with KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant settled at the crease. Robin Uthappa suggested they decided to push the scoring rate intentionally, with Rahul aiming to reach his century before the break. This was not about personal milestones but a strategic move to unsettle England.
Uthappa explained that Rahul and Pant likely communicated a plan: Rahul would get his hundred before lunch and then attack aggressively afterward, while Pant would hold the innings steady. This approach aimed to break England’s momentum and take full control of the game, showing match awareness over individual glory.
“I reckon the communication between Rahul and Pant would have been, you know, we need to take the attack on. If I can get my 100 before lunch, then we can take the attack to them immediately after, and then you can hold fort while I take the attack on. Let’s get these guys out of the game completely. That perhaps was the thought process,” Uthappa explained.
