Who said what - top 5 expert reactions to KL Rahul's 84 in 1st innings of BGT 2024-25 3rd Test ft. Cheteshwar Pujara
KL Rahul was a silver lining in India's batting in the ongoing Gabba Test against Australia. Amid a flurry of wickets at the other end, he maintained composure to score 84 off 139 and helped the visitors to avoid a follow-on.
After Rahul's impressive knock, Ravindra Jadeja scored 77 to put India in good stead. Then, Akash Deep (27*) and Jasprit Bumrah (10*) displayed commendable resilience to help the visitors avoid a follow-on. They are currently at 252/9 in response to Australia's staggering total of 445 in the first innings.
The cricket fraternity and fans were in awe of KL Rahul stitching crucial partnerships with the middle-order batters. On that note, let's take a look at the few expert reactions to his gritty knock, which put the Indian team out of danger in the Gabba Test.
#1 Sanjay Bangar
Former Indian head coach Sanjay Bangar termed KL Rahul as the standout India batter in the game. He thinks Rahul's judgment on the balls pitched around the off-stump is a lesson for other Indian batters for the remainder of BGT 2024/25. Here's what he said on Star Sports:
"He left a lot of deliveries outside off stump and making the bowlers do something different. He wasn't really going towards the ball, and whenever he flashed hard outside that off-stump, he flashed hard."
"So, all in all, a terrific innings from him, and for me, I think he is the standout performer with the bat with both teams, because he's been negotiating the new ball so well. His judgment outside off stump has been impeccable and his example should inspire the remaining Indian batters to sort of imbibbe these qualities in their own individual game plan," Bangar added.
#2 Sunil Gavaskar
Legendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar lauded KL Rahul's strong showing and his judgment of leaving the good balls around the off-stump.
"Except for the first ball today, where he slightly followed the delivery, his judgment outside off-stump was fantastic," Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
Rahul's impressive innings reminded Gavaskar of former Indian batter Murali Vijay, who also had credible off-stump awareness.
"KL Rahul left deliveries very close to the off-stump so consistently that it reminded me of Nathan McSweeney yesterday and, before him, Murali Vijay, who also had exceptional off-side judgment," he added.
#3 Cheteshwar Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara lauded his former teammate KL Rahul's ability to defend the balls around the off-stump in a proficient manner. He also pointed out Rahul keeping the bat close to the body and not rushing to score runs.
“He knows where his off stump is. And even while defending, he allows the ball to come and hit his bat. He’s not going for the ball. He’s covering his off stump. And he’s looking to play the ball. But once he knows that it’s outside the line, then he’s keeping his bat close to his body," Pujara said on Star Sports.
“And KL has showed that if you apply yourself, if you bat well, it’s a good pitch where you can score runs. It’s not a very difficult pitch where you can’t survive or where you can’t bat," he added.
#4 Parthiv Patel
Former Indian batter Parthiv Patel praised KL Rahul during an interaction on Cricbuzz. Patel thinks Rahul has now hit the required tempo for the rest of the series with this crucial knock.
"KL Rahul warrants applause for his ability to apply himself in a tough session. He is picking up lengths quickly and his footwork shows surity. He opens up a big stride on the frontfoot and uses the depth of the crease well on the backfoot," Patel said.
Further, Patel opined that Rahul has shown commendable mental toughness and has once again proven his sound technique on foreign soil.
"He is allowing the ball to come to him and is playing with soft hands. He has shown a mental clarity and a technique to succeed," he added.
#5 Aakash Chopra
Former cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra feels KL Rahul is the ultimate team man because of his ability to contribute at any batting position. Further, he pointed out Rahul's impressive record in SENA countries, where he has garnered 1,401 runs in 45 innings, with five centuries.
"Let's be honest. He has scored lots of runs in the SENA countries. It was a crucial 84-run knock, which helped India to produce a respectable score and also put India in a position to save the game," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
However, Chopra lauded Rahul's patience and noted that his technique allowed him to perform well in the ongoing series.
"He has come with a very clear mind and knows his role well. He knows his patience to bat long hours and he has no issues in leaving balls outside the off-stump," he concluded.