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India's KL Rahul bats on day four of the first cricket test match between England and India at Headingley in Leeds, England, Monday, June 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
Suniel Shetty showered praise on his son-in-law and revealed his obsession with the game, as well as what it means to him to play for the country. The Test was interestingly poised on Monday, with India setting the hosts a tricky 371-run target for victory.
Ben Stokes' side began the chase expertly on day four, with openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett erasing 21 runs from the total. Suniel Shetty said: "He says, ‘Dad, I am playing for the country. So it doesn't matter what position I'm playing in. I want to play for the country.’""And when you are obsessed with that, I don't think any position matters. Then it's about being mentally very, very strong. Emotionally clear. Desh and nothing else."
KL Rahul press conference: On his role, being elder brother in team, role clarity and match
Rahul scored 137 while Pant smashed 118, as the duo stitched together a 195-run stand for the fourth wicket to bail India out on the fourth day of the Headingley Test."Today was a tricky wicket. Tomorrow it might break even more. We'll give ourselves the best chance to pick up the 10 wickets," Rahul said during the post-stumps press conference. He, however, conceded that a score of around 400 would have placed India in a much stronger position."At tea, there was a little bit of discussion on how much we need, or whether to give them (England) a few overs to bat and pick up a few wickets. Ideally, we would have wanted about 40 runs more," said Rahul.
India lost three lower-order batters for naught, while Karun Nair and Shardul Thakur too could only manage a handful of runs, as the visitors slumped from 333/5 to 364 all out. Rahul added that he was in awe of Pant's batting and was just admiring his audacious strokeplay standing at the other end."You just stand there and admire and sometimes scratch your head about the shots that he plays. He has his unique style of play. He enjoys his game. He has a style that none of us will understand in this room. Just let him be Rishabh Pant," said Rahul of Pant, who, despite playing conservatively, managed 118 off just 140 balls.
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