'Worked with F1 coaches': KL Rahul reveals mental drills after Lord's hundred, plays down final-over drama

TimesofIndia.com in London:KL Rahul struck a composed century at the iconic Lord's to help India match England's 387 in a tense, seesawing Day 3 of the third Test. The batter then made some revelations about his mental training.Score: India vs England 3rd TestRahul, who made a fine 100 off 177 balls to become only the second Indian after Dilip Vengsarkar to score multiple Test hundreds at Lord's, shared key insights into what has helped him find consistency in his recent performances.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!"I spent some time with an expert for some mental drills to improve my reaction times," he said at the press conference after stumps. "Seen this in Formula One. Worked with coaches who work with F1 guys and adventure sport. That's the only thing which has been different. I always enjoy batting long hours. I have strived for consistency all my career. Happy that performances are coming through now."Rahul added that he was enjoying the responsibility of opening the innings again for India. "Batting at top of the order feels good. Happy that I am using the opportunity," he said.India's innings was built on his 141-run partnership with Rishabh Pant (74), followed by a steady stand between Ravindra Jadeja (72) and Nitish Reddy (30). However, the drama wasn't limited to the scoreboard. As England came out to bat for a brief spell before stumps, tempers flared.After Jasprit Bumrah bowled five deliveries in what was expected to be a two-over burst, Zak Crawley called for the physio - leading Indian players to accuse him of time-wasting. Captain Shubman Gill exchanged sharp words with the England opener as tensions simmered.Rahul, however, brushed aside the incident. "Part of the game. As an opening batter, I can understand what happened in the last five minutes," he said calmly.With the scores level and England at 2/0 in their second innings, the match is delicately balanced going into the fourth day.