New Delhi: Legendary striker Sunil Gavaskar has stated that the business of trashing India must be met with aggression, citing recent statements about Joe Root potentially surpassing Sachin Tendulkar as the top run-getter in men’s Test cricket.
In an episode of the Club Prairie Fire podcast, former England captain Michael Vaughan stated that it is only a matter of time before Root becomes the leading test run-getter. At the same time, he noted that the BCCI will do everything in its power to ensure that the record remains with an Indian batter.
“With more than 50 years of experience, I can say that it’s not just the Indian crowds who are silent when their team is not doing well but crowds in every country. If there is some noise when, say, India is doing well overseas, it’s because of the number of Indian supporters who travel long distances from India and who cheer for them, not the locals.
“So next time, when some commentator or media person from overseas tries to talk about the silence of the Indian crowd when India is not doing well, we should ask them why their supporters haven’t come to cheer for their team. This business of India bashing has to be countered with aggression because that’s the only language they understand.
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“Recently, I heard someone saying it would be good for Test cricket if Joe Root overtook Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most runs and centuries in Test match cricket. Please tell us what’s wrong with Test cricket presently when Tendulkar owns the record and how will Test cricket be better if (and that’s huge if) an Englishman goes on to hold it. In what way will it be better? Kindly enlighten us,” wrote Gavaskar in his column for Sportstar on Thursday.
He was also surprised that the BCCI dislikes Test cricket despite the fact that India plays a lot of red-ball cricket each year. “For some strange reason, there’s a perception overseas that BCCI does not like Test cricket.
“That’s a ridiculous notion, as India plays more than half a dozen Test matches every season, be it at home or away. Just because the IPL is massively successful doesn’t mean BCCI is not interested in promoting Test cricket, but that’s the narrative that’s being peddled by the overseas media.”
Gavaskar signed off by saying one should wait and watch on whether the 2025 World Test Championship venue final will be shifted from Lord’s or not. “The ICC just announced that the WTC final will be played at Lord’s next June. Well, we have heard the same declaration twice earlier, but as soon as it’s seen that England is not going to qualify for the final, the venue gets changed to Southampton or The Oval in London.
“Now that England is winning more Test matches in this period and there’s a good chance they may get to the final, we are told the final will be at Lord’s. Let’s wait and see. As the old Indian saying goes, DILLI (Lord’s) abhi bhi door hai.”
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–IANS
