KL Rahul did something special last week in the Perth Test. He is now the first batter from Asia to contribute to over 100-run opening partnerships against Australia, England, and South Africa all within a few years. In comparison, this may not be such a big achievement compared to India's win in Perth, but it has shown how stable Rahul is as a player. Rahul's Contribution in India's Win Despite his great record, Rahul's contributions during the Perth Test went unnoticed. He played a supporting role behind stars like Jasprit Bumrah, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Virat Kohli. In fact, Rahul might not have even played the Test if India had its full squad available. This shows how, despite his strong numbers, he was not a guaranteed starter in the team. Filling Pujara's Shoes Cheteshwar Pujara was India's ace player during the new ball overs to stabilize things for the middle order in recent series. Since India got beat 0-3 against New Zealand on their soil, there were doubts over who was to assume his role. Even though benched in the last two Test of the series against New Zealand, Rahul seemed the right answer considering the form he displayed at conditions not different from Australia. Rahul's Test Performance Outside India Since 2021, Rahul has been the best batter for Tests outside Asia. His average of 90.7 for the balls per dismissal is the highest among all Indian batter in this period. It has been Rahul's pressure-absorbing ability against the new ball that has enabled the middle order to flourish. At the same time, his Asian outing has been a mixed bag of below 25 averages and is something he needs to get back on track with. Also Read | World's Richest Cricketer Retired at the Age of 22, Now Richer Than Virat and Sachin Indian Batters Stats in Away Tests Since 2021 Player Innings Runs Average Balls/Dissmissal SR 100s/50s KL Rahul 19 757 39.84 90.7 43.90 3/3 Rohit Sharma 23 919 43.76 89.1 49.06 2/5 Cheteshwar Pujara 24 702 30.52 87.5 34.85 0/7 Virat Kohli 25 1004 41.83 84.4 49.53 2/5 Ravindra Jadeja 17 492 32.80 69.2 47.39 1/2 Rishabh Pant 23 863 41.09 62.0 66.28 2/4 Ajinkya Rahane 23 542 23.56 51.1 46.04 0/3 Shubman Gill 17 386 24.12 41.1 58.57 0/2 Ravichandran Ashwin 13 231 19.25 32.5 59.23 0/1 Shardul Thakur 17 327 19.23 30.0 64.11 0/4 Rahul's Test Numbers Since 2021 Outside Asia (SENA countries): 19 innings, 757 runs, average of 39.84, 3 centuries, and 3 half-centuries. In Asia: 14 innings, 321 runs, average of 24.69, 0 centuries, and 2 half-centuries. Rahul's Career Struggles and Comeback Rahul was not up to the mark in his previous years, more so in overseas conditions. Between 2018 and 2019, he wasn't even that good that he could claim a place back in the side. He had a lot to do in his attempts to reclaim his rhythm. He came quite strong in the series against England in 2021, showing more maturity and composure, more than ever before particularly with the new ball. Performance of Rahul over Time 2018-2019: 23 innings, 487 runs, average of 21.17 Since 2021: 19 innings, 757 runs, average of 39.84 Finding His Off Stump One of the main changes in Rahul's game has been his discipline with balls away from the off stump. He used to get taken out by inswinging ones. Since 2021, Rahul has become pickier with the balls outside off stump and has worked on leaving them, which has prevented him from making unnecessary dismissals. Mayank Agarwal, Rahul's long-time partner from Karnataka, has praised him for understanding where his off stump is and for being more disciplined in his approach to batting. Also Read | Watch: Indian Pacers Shares Insights on Pink Ball Challenges Improvement Against Seaming Deliveries Rahul has also improved his game against deliveries that seam in, which had been a major weakness in his earlier career. His average against such balls has doubled since 2021, and he now handles them much better. His success is also a result of his changes in trigger movements that make him more balanced and compact when meeting the ball. Rahul now is looking to meet the ball close to his off stump which gives him a better view of judging the deliveries. A Decade in Australian Cricket It was here in Australia that Rahul first came into Test cricket and, scoring a century in only his second match. A decade later, he was again the key man for India to win in Perth. Rahul could be the bridge between the old and the new generation of players for India, who are at a transition phase. He will look forward to his performances in Perth not being a one-off but a start to a strong, consistent phase in his career. Conclusion KL Rahul's journey has been a rollercoaster ride in international cricket: one moment of great success and the next frustrating struggle. This performance in Perth is yet another reminder of the strength of his resilience and how one has to give players the time and space to evolve. Rahul could thus play a key role for the team in its new transition to a new generation of players.