KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s psychological stamina questioned by Sanjay Manjrekar

Batting on the opening morning at Old Trafford is rarely a pleasant task. With overcast skies, a tinge of green on the pitch, and Chris Woakes in rhythm, India’s openers were expected to be tested. And tested they were. Yet KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal stood tall.

For the first session of the Manchester Test, the Indian duo offered a blend of discipline and technique, weathering the swing and seam movement expertly. Woakes, England’s most reliable home pacer, asked probing questions with the new ball, but Rahul’s tight technique and Jaiswal’s determined nature kept him away. India went into lunch unscathed at 78 for no loss after 26 overs, giving India a massive edge going forward.

KL Rahul, Jaiswal fail to convert starts

However, the momentum India built through the morning unraveled in dramatic fashion after the break. Rahul, who looked in fine touch for his 46, was dismissed right after lunch, edging Chris Woakes to the slip cordon. Jaiswal, who had gutsed out 151 balls for his 61, fell shortly after as he lured into a loose poke by left-arm spinner Liam Dawson and caught by Harry Brook at first slip.

Despite being in a strong position, India’s openers failed to take England further out of the contest. The missed opportunity didn’t go unnoticed. Speaking on JioHotstar, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar questioned whether fatigue from a long tour had started to show in the minds of India’s top order.

“You saw the first session, an important one, go to India and then England, making that second session their own. We saw two set batters get out – KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. You wonder. I don’t know whether I’m reading too much into it, whether it’s mental fatigue from the long series,” Manjrekar said.

“These are guys who’ve got runs. These aren’t batters who will get a 50 and let the advantage go. Has that got something to do with mental stamina, the reserves that you need? They have played so well until now to drop another kind of level of commitment and grind, whether they have it in there.”

India eventually closed the day at 264/4, which is a solid total on paper, but the outgoing Rishabh Pant due to injury and Sai Sudharsan (66) in the final hour slightly dented their control. Pant not bat again in this Test, and India have only all-rounders to rely on to get near 350-run mark.

Hussain, Shastri see the positives

While Manjrekar’s remarks debated against KL and Jaiswal, others were more appreciative of the innings played by the two Indian openers. Former England skipper Nasser Hussain lauded KL Rahul’s classical approach and his ability to adapt to English conditions.

“He (Rahul) has wonderful technique. He plays almost like an English opening batter, and it is a real valuable asset for this Indian side to have,” Hussain told Sky Sports.

Rahul’s 46 also took him past 1000 Test runs in England, joining an elite Indian club alongside Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid, and Virat Kohli. Meanwhile, former India head coach Ravi Shastri praised Jaiswal’s discipline and growth as a Test batter.

“This tour of England will make Jaiswal twice the player he is. He was prepared to guts it out this morning after his failures at Lord’s – he gave respect to the conditions and the new ball. Then he started playing positive shots around half an hour before lunch – the uppercut, the slash over the slips.”