Former India coach Ravi Shastri has applauded Keegan Petersen for his exploits in the Test series against India, saying the South African batter reminded him of the legendary Gundappa Viswanath.

Petersen emerged to be an important member of the Proteas team that just defeated Team India 2-1 to lift the Freedom Trophy. He scored twin fifties in the Cape Town Test and was named the Player of the Match as well as the Player of the Series.

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“Keegan Peterson (KP). Excellent initials (@KP24). A great world player in the making. My childhood hero Gundappa Viswanath comes to mind #SAvIND,” Shastri tweeted.

The right-handed Gundappa Viswanath, who was one of the best batters of his time, played 91 Tests and 25 ODIs for India, and possessed supple wrists which he used effectively while playing the square cuts. The South African Petersen is also equally wristy.

Shastri also mentioned that ‘KP’ are excellent initials, referring to the ex-England skipper Kevin Pietersen, who was one of the most fascinating batters.

The 28-year-old Petersen ended the three-match Test series with 276 runs in 6 innings, which included 3 crucial half-centuries against India.

( With PTI Inputs)