Facing Steyn is a different ball game: Lokesh Rahul

Looking forward to the challenge of facing Dale Steyn in the upcoming four-match Test series against South Africa, India opener Lokesh Rahul has said playing the speedster in the longer format is a “different ballgame” as one has to counter the late movement he gets.

Rahul may have shared the Sunrisers Hyderabad dugout with the Proteas pacer in IPL, but admitted that batting against Steyn during his 72-run knock for the Board President’s XI was a totally different experience.

“I thought I would find it easier to face him but I played him today and it was a whole different experience,” Rahul told bcci.tv after the opening day of the two-day practice game in Mumbai on Friday.

“Fielding or keeping wickets when he is bowling is one thing. Batting against him with the red ball moving and doing a bit, like it did, is a different ballgame. He gets the ball to move late and I found it a little hard today. I love playing with him, and playing against him will be a different challenge that I look forward to,” he added.

Rahul, 23 also admitted that getting into a pacers’ mind is difficult.

“We try to, but you know how the fast bowlers’ minds work. They think and work differently, doing different things in each game. You can’t really understand what goes on in their minds,” he said.