KL Rahul's Reaction To Sunil Gavaskar's 'Top 10 Hundred' Compliment Is Pure Gold

29.12.2023 - 11:22 sports.ndtv.com

KL Rahul impressed everyone by scoring a gritty century on Day 2 of the first Test match between India and South Africa in Centurion.

With wickets falling on the other end, Rahul paced his innings to perfection and ended up taking India to a competitive total in the first innings.

Legendary India skipper Sunil Gavaskar was all praise for Rahul and even called the century among "Top 10 in the Indian history of Tests. “Watching cricket for 50 years, I can surely Say this hundred by Rahul is in the Top 10 in the Indian history of Tests,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

At the post-match press conference, Rahul was told by reporters about Gavaskar's compliment and his reaction was pure gold. The wicket-keeper batter was left amazed by the legendary cricketer's compliment and said that he was humbled by his words. “Firstly, I am very humbled if he has made that comment.

cricket South Africa Cricket Team India Cricket Team South Africa vs India Star Sports Sunil Gavaskar Kl Rahul South Africa India county Park

A lot of debate took place over Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's possible inclusion in the T20 World Cup 2024 squad but a return to T20I cricket after 14 months in the series against Afghanistan has possibly provided a sneak peek at what the Indian cricket team selectors are planning for the future. Both Rohit and Virat will be making their return to the shortest format of the sport after last playing in November 2022. While questions still remain over their T20 World Cup selection, Sunil Gavaskar backed both of them to make the cut even if they have an ordinary Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 campaign.

"Not The Only Player Who Failed": Sunil Gavaskar's Blunt Take On Shreyas Iyer's Form

India's tour of South Africa left a bitter-sweet taste in the mouths of Indian players. The 1-1 draw was satisfactory but the performance of Indian batters on tricky pitches left a lot to be desired. One batter who particularly underperformed was Shreyas Iyer, scoring just 41 runs in 4 innings at an average of 13.67. However, India legend Sunil Gavaskar doesn't think the selectors will look too much into Iyer's performance as he wasn't the only batter who failed in the 2-match series.

"You Get Slow When...": Sunil Gavaskar's No Nonsense Take On Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma's T20I Future

Former captain Sunil Gavaskar has backed Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to play in the T20 World Cup in June, saying the two senior players are not only the key batters but also terrific fielders in the Indian team. Both Rohit and Kohli have not played a T20I since India's semifinal loss to England at the 2022 T20 World Cup but the duo is keen to return to the shortest format. "What makes me feel good is their fielding. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are still great fielders and will be of great help on the field. In addition to seniority in the dressing room, they will contribute on the field, too," Gavaskar told Star Sports.

"Sorry, You're Not A Batter If...": Sunil Gavaskar's Attack Post India vs South Africa 2nd Test

The India vs South Africa 2nd Test ended inside two days. In all, only five days of cricket action was possible to see in the two-match Test series. While the first Test ended in three days, the second Test's duration was beyond explanation. Thrice the teams were all out in a span of five sessions. While the pitch at the Newlands Stadium is under question, there are those who have raised questions at the batters' technique too.

On Day 1 Chaos In 1st Test, Sunil Gavaskar Surprised By South Africa's Dramatic Call

Former Indian cricket team captain Sunil Gavaskar on Wednesday expressed surprise at South African skipper Dean Elgar's decision to bat first in the second Test against India. Elgar's decision backfired as South Africa were bundled out for 55, their lowest total against India. India were on course for a big lead until losing their last six wickets for no run to be all out for 153, limiting their first innings advantage to 98 runs. "Well, I tell you what, I was a bit surprised by what happened," Gavaskar said in his match analysis on Star Sports.

Watch: South Africa Pacer Tries To Scare Virat Kohli. Sunil Gavaskar's Reaction Is Gold

It will be a day which will etched in the history of Indian cricket forever. Dismissing a team for a double digit figure is a big feat, and India did it in emphatic fashion against South Africa on Day 1 of the second Test. A career-best six-wicket haul from Mohammed Siraj helped India dismiss South Africa for a lowly 55 before the visitors were dismissed for 153.