India opener KL Rahul said he deliberately avoided curbing his natural strokeplay while making the transition from T20 cricket to the Test format, a mindset that helped him compile a patient century on the opening day of the one-off Test against Afghanistan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rahul's 100, along with captain Shubman Gill's unbeaten 103 and Sai Sudharsan's 81, powered India to a commanding 368\/3 at stumps on Day 1 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Reflecting on the challenge of moving from months of T20 cricket straight into the longest format, Rahul admitted that overthinking can often become a trap for batters.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Sometimes you sit and overanalyse and try to play completely differently to T20 cricket. Something that I consciously tried was not to restrict my shots, but also be aware of what kind of shots I can play on this wicket against what kind of bowlers," Rahul said after the day's play.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The right-hander revealed that maintaining a balance between attacking instincts and Test-match discipline was central to his preparation. "That's something that I thought about in the last week leading up to this Test match. That's what I tried to do. In the morning, I think I did play a few shots more than what I would have played ideally, but it didn't make me frustrated or angry at myself."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rahul said he was keen to continue backing his strengths rather than become overly cautious simply because he was playing red-ball cricket. "I was okay with playing shots and playing to the merit of the ball. That's what I was trying to do more," he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The opener also expressed satisfaction at how quickly he was able to adjust from the fast-paced nature of the IPL to the patience required in Test cricket. "I'm really happy that I could get some time in the middle and make that switch from T20 to Test cricket in a couple of days. That was the most pleasing thing."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rahul credited India's preparation in New Chandigarh for helping him understand the nature of the surface before the match.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"It wasn't coming on at all. It was a really slow and low sort of wicket, which we did expect. We had a few days of training here, and it was pretty similar to this. I had to get used to spending time in the middle and letting the ball come to you."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rahul credited India's preparation in New Chandigarh for helping him understand the nature of the surface before the match.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rahul's century, his 12th in Tests, anchored India's innings after an early wicket and set the platform for a dominant opening day against Afghanistan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n