File photo of Rahul Dravid© AFP
Legendary Australian cricket team batter Matthew Hayden made a hilarious gaffe on live air when he said that he wants Rahul Dravid instead of KL Rahul while talking about India’s team selection for the third Test match. Hayden was analysing India’s loss in the pink-ball Test and his fumble left Gavaskar in splits. The comment came after Gavaskar said that Rohit should not bat at No. 6 and return to opening the batting for India as he is already suffering from a lot of confidence due to his lack of form.
“I think he should come back to opening for the next Test because he likes the ball to come onto the bat. This innings, one can understand, because he hadn’t played for a while, and Rahul and Jaiswal had a 200-run partnership in the previous game. But Rahul can come down the order and face the second new ball. I’m being optimistic that India will bat so well in the next game that Rahul will take care of the second new ball,” he said.
Gavaskar wants Rohit to open, Hayden wants… Dravid back in the XI?? #AUSvIND | @StarSportsIndia pic.twitter.com/9nkbUFFv8X
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) December 10, 2024
Hayden was not on the same page as Gavaskar and we went to say that India should not make a hasty change to the playing XI. He also backed the “technically-sound” Rahul to continue as opener but ended up saying “Rahul Dravid” in place of “KL Rahul”.
“I’ll be slightly more stubborn. I will not be changing at this stage. I know you would like a better outcome inside the top three. But from what I saw in Perth, technically, Rahul Dravid is right there. He just needs to do it for a longer,” Hayden explained.
As soon as Hayden finished his analysis, Gavaskar taunted the Australia legend as he said – “I would love it if it was Rahul Dravid, as you said, but it is KL Rahul.”
Hayden was left in splits as he said that Dravid’s centuries at the Adelaide Oval “still haunts him”.
“Sorry, KL Rahul. My apologies. I was thinking of when he dominated here in Adelaide and got us smashed in 2003/04 series. That’s a nightmare I’m stull living,” he said.
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