Cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar lavished praise on KL Rahul ahead of Perth Test. The former India captain is confident that the stylish batter will excel on Australian pitches in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 just like his last memorable knock in South Africa last year.
With Rohit Sharma on paternity leave, India faces a decision between reserve opener Abhimanyu Easwaran and the experienced KL Rahul to partner Yashasvi Jaiswal in the first Test, starting Friday in Perth.
At the moment, the team management appears to favor Rahul, given his considerable experience opening for India in Test cricket, including a remarkable century at Centurion last year. Despite this, Rahul has struggled with consistency throughout his 53-Test career.
"KL Rahul got one of the finest centuries that I have witnessed first-hand in South Africa last year opening the batting, so doing so here again won't be an issue for him.
"Like all batters he will need some luck at the start and if he gets that he can get the team off to a solid opening," Gavaskar told PTI in an exclusive interview ahead of the series opener.
ALSO READ: 'I can bowl 150kmph, at least you say fast bowler': Jasprit Bumrah clean bowls reporter with witty remark for calling him 'medium pacer'
Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 schedule
The series kicks off in Perth on November 22, with the second Test set to bring the day-night excitement at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10. Fans will then shift their focus to The Gabba in Brisbane, where the third Test is scheduled from December 14 to 18. The iconic Boxing Day Test will follow, taking place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26 to 30, marking the penultimate chapter of the series. Finally, the action will conclude at the Sydney Cricket Ground, with the fifth Test running from January 3 to 7, promising a thrilling finale to this eagerly awaited contest.
India Squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Reddy, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah(c), Mohammed Siraj, Sarfaraz Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, Abhimanyu Easwaran
