Sunil Gavaskar highlights 'respect' factor as he delves into the distinction between KL Rahul and other Indian batting stars

Indian batters have been criticized for their lack of discipline throughout this Test season, but one player who has stood out for his consistency, especially during the ongoing tour of Australia, is KL Rahul. The talented right-handed batter proved his worth once again by remaining unbeaten at the end of the day after opening the batting for the team. He scored a solid 33 runs off 64 deliveries, showcasing his skill and determination on the field.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has now explained the reason behind Rahul's success so far; when asked on India Today about ‘what KL Rahul is doing right’ in comparison to the other batters in the team, Gavaskar explained that he remains “still” and that his head position helps him judge the line of the ball.

“He is very still at crease. There is a little trigger movement, but his head is upright, and that's the reason why he is able to judge where the off-stump is, and leave those deliveries. And that is so essential. When the ball is hard and new, and bowlers are on top, you need to give them the respect for the first half-an-hour or 45 minutes, because the next 5 hours are yours,” said Gavaskar.

After Rishabh Pant, the hero of the Indian team the last time it played at the Gabba, was also dismissed for just 9, Indian captain Rohit Sharma joined Rahul at the crease. Rohit, too, has been facing immense criticism after prolonged struggles with the bat in the longest format, having scored only one half-century across the five home Tests since August.

In the Adelaide Test last week, Rohit failed to breach double figures across both innings, and will be aiming for a strong comeback as India require a game-changing partnership on Day 4.