"KL Rahul has once again established himself as an India opener" - Sunil Gavaskar

Indian cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar believes KL Rahul has established himself as an opener for India once again. Rahul grabbed his opportunity at the top of the order and has received plenty of plaudits for his stellar performances in the first two Test matches against England.

Rahul scored a majestic ton on Day One of the second Test match at Lord's and etched his name on the Honors Board. He also scored an excellent 84 in the first Test. Rahul's unbeaten 127 at Lord's not only displayed his class, but was also evidence of his talent, grit, and concentration. All of these factors make him one of the more stylish batters in the modern game.

Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar took to his Instagram account to laud Rahul's efforts and praised him for grabbing his opportunity with both hands. In a short video released by Gavaskar, he termed Rahul's knock "a typical opener's innings." He also said:

"Rahul was very watchful as there was a lot of movement. Superb innings from KL. A typical opener's innings. He was very watchful to begin with because there was enough movement in the air and off the surface for the England bowlers."

The Indian legend was quick to acknowledge how luck plays an important factor at times for players. Gavaskar pointed out that Rahul might not have had his opportunity at the top of the order had Mayank Agarwal not been injured.

"Luck sometimes plays such an important part. If Mayank Agarwal hadn't got injured, Rahul would not have played in the first couple of Test matches."

🎥 Scenes as @klrahul11 returns to the dressing room after his brilliant 1⃣2⃣7⃣* on Day 1 of the Lord's Test. 👏 👏#TeamIndia #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/vY8dN3lU0y

— BCCI (@BCCI) August 13, 2021

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KL Rahul has established himself and should make sure that it's for long time now: Gavaskar

KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma are cementing their spot at the top of the order for India in Tests

India's opening partnership struggles in Test cricket have been well recorded in recent times. But with the opening duo of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, they seem to have found the answer to their issues at the top of the order.

The two Indian openers have done a terrific job of blunting the new ball in the first two Tests so far and have looked to encash on scoring opportunities as well. Sharma and Rahul became only the third pair to add a century-opening stand at Lord's after being asked to bat first.

Rohit & KL Rahul have utilized their practice time in the UK impressively. Last time I saw Rahul play test cricket was in the Caribbean 2019. He looked uncertain & rushed then. Now, very rarely have I seen an Asian opener play as late with such assurance in English conditions👍

— Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi) August 12, 2021

While Rohit Sharma has evaporated doubts around his caliber as a Test cricketer, Gavaskar believes that KL Rahul, too, has done enough to cement his spot at the top. The former Indian batsman hopes Rahul can hold that spot for a long time.

"Now, KL Rahul has once again established himself as an India opener and he should make sure that it's for a long time," Gavaskar concluded.