Johannesburg: Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar feels Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane lived up to the trust that was shown to them and added that it would have been easier to get excited by young talent. But the team should continue to show faith in their senior players till they ‘get out badly’.
Criticized after consistent poor performances, Pujara and Rahane played well with the bat and scored half-centuries in India’s second innings in the second Test against South Africa. Gavaskar told ‘Star Sports’, “He is experienced and the team has supported him with what he has done for the team in the past. He believed in himself that he would do well and so did he. ,
“Sometimes we can be a little harsh on our seniors because you have exciting young players waiting for you and we all want to see them play a little bit,” he said. Gavaskar said, “But as long as these senior players are playing well and not getting out badly, I think we should show faith in them. Regular skipper Virat Kohli missed the second Test immediately before the toss due to back pain.
He said, “This is the first time that India lost a Test match in which Virat Kohli did not play. They (the team) had drawn one match in Sydney, otherwise they would have always won. Despite Rahane and Pujara’s innings, the Indian team could not stop the South African batsmen, especially captain Dean Elgar, who took the hosts to a 1-1 draw in the series with a crucial partnership.
Gavaskar was not impressed with the way caretaker captain KL Rahul decorated the players on the field. He also criticized the Indian fielding. He said, “I think giving Dean Elgar one run at the start of the innings was making things easier for him.” Gavaskar said, “Indian fielding could have been a little better. But South Africa won the match. I don’t think Indians lost it, South Africa won the match. (agency)