'Feels like 25 years of cricket'

Rahul on imperfect 10: Seen ups and downs as floater

To KL Rahul, a decade-long journey in international cricket has felt like 25 years in which he has had to overcome "mental challenges" of being a floater in the Indian set-up, deal with injury lay-offs and the noises in his head that have quietened over time.

Ahead of the second Test against Australia and after coming good as an opener in the lung-opener in Perth, he was an assured man, facing questions on the 10-year roller-coaster ride he has endured and enjoyed.

"Feels like 25, the amount of injuries I have had and time away from sport, feels long, but yeah I have enjoyed every bit of it," Rahul reminisced as he saw the lighter side of things.

His 10 years in Test cricket have yielded 54 Test matches. Rahul has often been described as a volcano of talent, which has remained dormant for considerable periods leading to frustration among cricket fans.