Gurnoor Brar Earns Applause From Sunil Gavaskar After Standout Bowling Against Afghanistan: 'His Rhythm Is So Good'

Following India's thumping win over Afghanistan in the second ODI, former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar hailed young pacer Gurnoor Brar, who impressed with back-to-back three-wicket hauls, pointing out his run-up and rhythm, which helped him hit the deck and get the ball to "climb".

Another impressive performance by Brar and centuries from skipper Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan helped Team India seal a massive 170-run win over Afghanistan in the second ODI at Lucknow, winning the series 2-0. Having been picked by Team India managed for his massive six-feet-four-inch frame, ability to generate extra bounce and lethal pace, the investment in Brar has paid off as he has responded with six wickets in two matches at an average of 14.50.

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Speaking on JioStar, Gavaskar, lauded the team management for backing him so much despite not having the best of stats at the domestic/India A level.

"His run-up is so good, his rhythm is so good, he was hitting the deck and getting the ball to climb. The wicket he got of Gurbaz was particularly impressive because of the way that the bouncer followed him. It is very accurate. It comes right at you, exactly where the batter does not want it. I think the selection committee deserves all the compliments. If you look at his stats, or his India A performances, they are okay, but not to the extent where you would say he deserved an India cap. However, the selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, saw something in him, and that's why they picked him. He has also been backed by the management, which is so important," he said.

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Gavaskar also spoke on Shubman Gill, who has not let captaincy and personal form affect his performance as a captain. While he slammed his maiden century as a captain, taking a little while more than anticipated, he was good at rotating his bowlers.

To this, Gavaskar said, "When you are not getting runs, you're not confident about making those marginal moves that come from your gut feel, like holding back a bowler who has bowled well, giving him an extra over, or moving a fielder from a certain position. That gut feel is a lot stronger when you're personally performing. But if you are not performing, even when you get a gut feel, you are apprehensive about making that call because you are worried about getting it wrong. Since you are also not performing as a player, you will be criticised for your captaincy as well."

The legendary India batter said that, coming ahead in third ODI, he feels that Rohit Sharma, who has scored a total of 64 runs in two matches, with the best score of 48 and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored just four runs in the second ODI, will be the opening combination, and the team will need their spinners to "tick a few boxes" in coming ODIs.

"I think Rohit and Jaiswal at the top will be the combination again for the last game. The spin department is where India will be looking to tick a few boxes. Kuldeep has bowled well without getting the wickets, and Harsh Dubey bowled well and picked up three wickets in the first game, but he was a little on the expensive side. That is where India will be looking for some answers over the next few ODIs, not just in the final game of the series in Chennai," he said.

Coming to the match, Afghanistan opted to field first. But centuries from skipper Gill (154 in 110 balls, with 22 fours and two sixes) and Ishan (125 in 79 balls, with 14 fours and seven sixes) helped India reach 402 all out in 49.5 overs. Nangeyaliya Kharoti (4/76) and Rashid Khan (3/48) were the top wicket-takers for Afghanistan.

In the chase, Rahmat Shah stood tall with an 89-ball 79, with eight fours and a six. Top-order batters Rahmanullah Gurbaz (41 in 33 balls, with seven fours and a six) and Sediqullah Atal (42 in 50 balls, with five fours and a six) also produced solid performances, but it was not enough as Brar (3/60), Arshdeep Singh (3/45) and debutant Prince Yadav (2/56) bundled out Afghanistan for 232 runs.