IND vs SA: Irfan Pathan talks about batting technique, apologizes to Sunil Gavaskar

Irfan Pathan was heard discussing the batting strategies of KL Rahul in the first Test of the series against South Africa at Centurion. In the same vein, an interesting incident happened when the former Indian all-rounder offered his apology to Sunil Gavaskar amidst a discussion on live TV. However, after being enthralled by the former India all-rounder's analysis of Rahul's batting, Gavaskar did not accept his apology.

Rahul scored 101 (137) against the Proteas in the first innings, including 14 boundaries and four maximums. Pathan discussed Rahul's balance in that innings and his assessment was so accurate that Gavaskar was left speechless. Meanwhile, sensing that he might have been ranting for too long, Irfan was heard saying to the Little Master, "Sorry, sir."

"See, firstly, in terms of technique, Sunny sir had mentioned how he should play underneath his head. For a batter, it's always a point of discussion as to whether he is stretching his legs forward or going back while playing the ball. In case of Rahul, he is allowing the ball to come to him, which is a must. But besides that, a brilliant aspect of his batting was the position of his bat. 

The angle of the bat is not in line with his hands - it's slightly behind. What that does is that you get that little extra time. Otherwise, you will fumble and end up playing the ball on your toes. That's where the chances of edge increased," Pathan said during the lunch break on Day 1.

"Sir sorry," he further said, before Gavaskar said, 'no problem'.

“But if you keep the bat at that angle, you have time. This is actually a masterclass for young boys. If there is help in the pitch, you can actually hold the bat softly,” he further added.

He said sorry to me but I won't accept it because today I have also learnt something new: Sunil Gavaskar

Meanwhile, during the discussion, former India legend Sunil Gavaskar, on the other hand, then turned up and stated that he would not accept Irfan Pathan’s apology. The former cricketer stated that he had learnt something from Pathan when the latter was explaining the techniques of KL Rahul’s batting. 

"He said sorry to me but I won't accept it because today I have also learnt something new. As long as you stay a student of the game, you will always learn and it will only benefit you. I had never thought about it but this is such a deep insight in terms of technique. I am not at all surprised because he is an all-rounder. He has studied Rahul's batting from a bowler's point of view," Gavaskar replied.

Interestingly, after hearing a priceless comment from Gavaskar, Pathan expressed his gratitude with a heartfelt post on X (formerly- Twitter).

"Gratitude fills me today, and it's not just any day — thanks to Sunny sir for the uplifting compliment. Truly made my year," Pathan wrote on his 'X' handle.