Colombo, Aug 21 (IANS): India Test opener Lokesh Rahul on Friday said he is open to batting at any position according to the team’s needs.
Rahul scored a century (108) on Thursday while opening the batting against Sri Lanka on the first day of the second Test here at the P Sara Oval. However, the right-hander insists that he can bat at any given slot and would relish such a challenge.
"I have always believed that as a professional cricketer, you need to be flexible in your mind and whatever the team wants you to do, you should be ready to adapt quickly and deliver for the team," Rahul told bcci.tv on Friday.
"Whatever the team demands from me, I will do that; but if you ask me personally, I have always opened the batting, I enjoy batting up the order. But again, if the team wants me to bat in a different position, it is a good challenge for me and if the team requires that, I will have to do that," he said.
Asked to compare his hundred here and the one he scored against Australia in January at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), the 23-year-old said: "Both (at SCG and P. Sara) have been very difficult hundreds and in very difficult conditions and have been challenging for me. I didn't get runs in the first Test and to come here and play like the way I did was very satisfying for me individually.
"But honestly I felt I should have done a lot better and I am feeling a little disappointed. Generally after tea to the end of the day it is the time when you get more runs, when you are set.
"And I felt I should have been there and could have got more runs for my team. But again it is a big learning for me and I will go back and work on a few things, hopefully I will not do the mistakes again," the Karnataka cricketer said.
Rahul almost threw away his wicket trying to play a pull shot to an away going bouncer.
"It is very disappointing that the shot you love to play the most gets you out a lot. For me it's a good learning, a big learning. It's my favourite shot and I won't stop playing the shot, so I will discipline myself and get to know what is the right line and length to pull. That's what I have to work on.
He also added that he was having a lot of fun batting with captain Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
“Always enjoyed batting with Virat. He brings in a lot of energy and a lot of positivity when he comes in to bat. With Rohit, it is a lot calmer. He likes to take his time, you look at him batting and you feel like he is batting with so much ease and so much time. It was a lot of fun to bat with both of them.
"All three of us are positive players, so the scoreboard kept ticking. I was having a lot of fun batting with both. It is good to have partners like them," said Rahul.