India, Jan. 14 -- India's innings had already found its centre of gravity by the time KL Rahul brought up his century in the second ODI against New Zealand, but the way he did it, and the moment it arrived, triggered a familiar debate that has followed him for years: talent versus output, promise versus fulfilment.

Speaking during the mid-innings show, Sunil Gavaskar offered a candid, layered take that carried both praise and a pointed assessment of Rahul's career curve. Gavaskar began by acknowledging the long-held perception around the batter, even while stressing that it comes from the scale of Rahul's ability.

"Look, I've always thought that maybe, and I could be wrong, with all the talent that he's had, he's probably been a little ...