He is very still at the crease – Sunil Gavaskar points out what makes KL Rahul stand out Down Under

Things went haywire for Team India once again in Gabba as they struggled to keep themselves afloat against a formidable Aussie bowling unit on Day 3 of the Test. KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja’s buoyant fight together helped India to push back the Australian invasion but the rest of the batting line-up proved to be shaky, to say the least.

Had it not been for the rain gods, India could have been completely obliterated by the Australian bowlers. Amidst the rising wobbles and woes for the Indian cricket team, former India captain, Sunil Gavaskar had a special observation about KL Rahul, underlining the key element that has helped the star Indian batter to keep himself in the hunt and find runs in Australia.

Talking on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “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.”

With that being said, India is stationed at 180/6 on Day Four as rain played spoilsport again, helping the visitors with some crucial time away from the yard as the Aussie bowlers have looked downright menacing. KL Rahul smashed an excellent 84 from 139 balls. He had some luck in the form of a dropped sitter by Steve Smith on the first ball of the day but the former RCB batter did made the lifeline count. He found a solid partner in Ravindra Jadeja whose warring half-century kept the Indian innings going.