SA vs IND, 1st Test: ‘Equal To A Century’: Sunil Gavaskar Praises KL Rahul’s Fighting Fifty

The Indian wicketkeeper batter came out and held one end. Rahul played with caution as he punished the poor deliveries and defended the good balls.

Centurion:  Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar lavished praise on wicket-keeper batter KL Rahul’s fighting half-century in the first Test (first innings) against South Africa at the SuperSport Park Centurion on Tuesday. Gavaskar said that Rahul’s fifty is equal to a century, as it came under pressure.

After the departure of Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli, just after the lunch break, the Indian batter  came out and held one end. Rahul played with caution as he punished the poor deliveries and defended the good balls. With his partners falling like a pack of cards, he gave visitors a psychological advantage as he hammered a fighting half-century, which helped India cross the 200-run mark.
<

A 5️⃣0️⃣ to remember!

Down to his new role in the middle order & @klrahul fights a splendid battle, pivoting #TeamIndia to a respectable total!

Tune in to #SAvIND 1st Test
LIVE NOW | Star Sports Network#Cricket pic.twitter.com/Vxo0Na8FwC

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 26, 2023

The legendary Indian cricketer was impressed by the Karnataka-born player’s innings, and Gavaskar praised the batter. While commentating during the match, the 74-year-old said that Rahul’s fifty is equal to a century given the pitch and the conditions he played on. “This half century by KL Rahul is worth a century. On this pitch, under pressure, this innings is equal to a century,” said Gavaskar.

South African veteran pacer Kagiso Rabada’s five-wicket haul has put India on the backfoot on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test. In the second session, four wickets fell and all of them belonged to Rabada. His pace left India’s batters without any answers as the pacer thrived on a surface that provided extra bounce.

Earlier in the first session, after winning the toss, the hosts sent India to bat first. However, the Proteas won’t regret their decision, as they successfully dominated the first session in Centurion. Yashasvi Jaiswal (17 runs from 37 balls) and Rohit Sharma (5 runs from 14) opened for the visitors but both of them failed to make a mark and collapsed in front of the Proteas pacers.