In England, Rahul needs to make his experience count

India's batting is in a generational flux and KL Rahul must take the lead in blunting England's pace threat

- Somshuvra Laha

KOLKATA: Expectation never rested easily on KL Rahul, more so after a promising start that saw him score hundreds at Sydney, Colombo and Kingston on his first three tours in 2014-15. Indian batters aren't granted a quiet entry. And there Rahul was, setting the pulse racing with his tempered aggression and silken touch. Slipping from that high into a limbo where he was repeatedly uncertain of a place in the eleven before being passed over for captaincy, this is as challenging a terrain as it can get for a cricketer. Where does he go from here?

Rahul is 33. It may still be his destiny to be remembered as a remarkable batter with an envious record. Most batting greats find their feet in their early 20s before having to deal with doubts that creep in.

In Rahul's case though, it didn't help that almost immediately after his debut he found himself pushed around in the batting order when he should have been slowly nudged into the batting core. Ill-managed transitions and quick-fix strategies are to blame for this, something Indian cricket has been guilty of countless times.