Sunil Gavaskar heaps praise on KL Rahul for his valiant knock against Australia

Indian opener KL Rahul scored 84 runs during the first innings of the Brisbane Test on Tuesday. The 32-year-old was India’s best batter as he waged a lone battle for the visitors during the third Test match of the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy. Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar has lavished praise on Rahul’s approach with the bat. 

Speaking on Star Sports, the former Indian star said, “He is very still at crease. There is a little trigger movement, but his head is upright, and that’s the reason why he is able to judge where the off-stump is and leave those deliveries. And that is so essential. When the ball is hard and new and bowlers are on top, you need to give them the respect for the first half-an-hour or 45 minutes, because the next 5 hours are yours.”

Rahul was given a huge lease of life in the first ball of the day when Steve Smith dropped his catch. The Indian opener used this and rode his chance to score his second fifty of the tour. The knock has vindicated the decision taken by the team management to push Rahul back to his favourite opening spot. 

‘Momentum with Australia’ says Sunil Gavaskar

Team India is battling the odds to save the third Test in Brisbane to head into the Boxing Day game on even keel. During his chat with Star Sports, former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar believes that Australia is riding on the wave of momentum. The 75-year-old believes that the in Adelaide has swung the momentum in favour of the hosts. 

“The momentum that India got after the win in Perth went away in the ten-day gap before the second Test. Now the momentum is with Australia because they have won the Adelaide Test, and with just three days before the Gabba Test starts, the momentum is certainly with them," said Sunil Gavaskar on Star Sports. 

Harbhajan Singh seemed to agree to the views as he remarked, “What happened to Australia in Perth they wouldn’t have thought, and also India wouldn’t have thought what would happen at Adelaide after their magnificent victory in Perth. But now, if we look at it as a three-match series, India has to win at least two matches to claim the trophy. Their best chance to win would be in Sydney and Melbourne, but a victory at Gabba would set the tone for India to dominate the series."