'Jaiswal and Rahul helped settle dressing-room nerves': Gavaskar after India's strong start against Afghanistan
New Delhi, June 6
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar praised Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul for laying a strong foundation in the opening session of the one-off Test against Afghanistan, saying the pair helped calm nerves in the dressing room on a surface whose behaviour was still uncertain on the first morning.
India reached 96/1 at lunch on Day 1 after electing to bat, with Jaiswal scoring a brisk 24 before being dismissed. Rahul, who was unbeaten on 37 at the break, went on to convert his start into a century, while Sai Sudharsan added a valuable 81 before falling later in the innings.
Gavaskar feels that India would be pleased with the way their openers handled the challenging early conditions. "On day one, when you get off to a start of almost a hundred and have lost just one wicket, you've done really well. They managed to negate whatever early assistance the seam bowlers received," Gavaskar told Jio Hotstar.
The batting great felt Jaiswal was unfortunate to lose his wicket after looking fluent during his brief stay at the crease. "Yashasvi was unlucky to get out, strangled down the leg side. On the first day, there are always nerves in the dressing room about what the pitch is going to do because nobody really knows, so he and Rahul helped settle those nerves," he added.
Gavaskar was particularly impressed with the approach shown by both batters, despite Rahul surviving a couple of early scares. "The way they batted was impressive, and some of the shots Jaiswal played were particularly pleasing. He didn't score too many runs, and Rahul had a couple of close shaves early on, but overall, I thought both of them batted really well," he said.
Former England spinner Graeme Swann also backed Rahul to make his start count after surviving the difficult opening phase against Afghanistan's seam attack.
"First and foremost, you'll probably be thinking, 'Right, I've done the hard bit by getting through the crucial first two hours. Now is the time to be patient.' They are relatively inexperienced spinners in the grand scheme of things, so they are bound to bowl the occasional loose delivery," Swann said.
Swann highlighted Rahul's proactive approach against spin, saying it put pressure back on Afghanistan's inexperienced slow bowlers. "As soon as the spinners overpitched, Rahul was happy to hit over the top, which is a nightmare for any spin bowler. Rahul is not the ideal batter to bowl to in your first Test match; he will take you on if you err in your line or length," he added.
Rahul's eventual century and Sudharsan's composed 81 ensured India capitalised on the solid platform established during the opening session.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I feel for Jaiswal - unlucky dismissal down leg side. But the way he played those early overs showed real maturity. Rahul also had those early scares but bounced back brilliantly. That's what Test cricket is all about - patience and character. 👏
Good platform, but let's not get carried away. Afghanistan's bowling attack isn't exactly world-class yet. The real test will come against stronger teams. Still, credit to Rahul for cashing in - that's what senior players should do against weaker attacks.
As someone who follows cricket from abroad, it's fascinating to see India's depth in batting. Jaiswal, Rahul, and Sudharsan all showing promise. The way they handled the early conditions was impressive. Graeme Swann's point about Rahul attacking the spinners was particularly interesting.
The first session is always tricky, especially in Tests. Gavaskar rightly highlighted how Jaiswal and Rahul's approach settled those early nerves. Rahul's century was well-deserved after all the ups and downs in his career. Hope he continues this form. 🇮🇳
Impressive start from India. The openers weathered the storm early, and Rahul's ability to counter-attack against spin was crucial. Sai Sudharsan's 81 was a bonus. This is what makes Test cricket so compelling - the ebb and flow of a session can set up the entire match.
Honestly, I think we're overhyping this a bit. Afghanistan's bowling isn't
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