Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar on Saturday said India’s triumph in the recent home series against England and their victory over Australia three years ago can both be classified in the same category. Gavaskar added that India doesn’t need big names to win difficult series and praised the youngsters for standing up to the difficult challenges.
The manner in which both series were won by India bear uncanny similarities. India were bowled out for their lowest-ever Test score of 36 in the second innings of the first Test in Adelaide, where they were soundly defeated. India suffered a series of setbacks after the first Test, losing key players such as Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and others. Moreover, Virat Kohli flew back home for the birth of his first child.
Handling so many setbacks, India orchestrated a kind of miracle. Following a disastrous first Test defeat, they won the following one in Melbourne, drew the next in Sydney, and eventually broke through the formidable Gabba barrier to win the series 2-1.
“India missed a lot of big names in Australia but they still managed to pull off a fantastic win not just in Gabba but also in Melbourne. They came back after being bowled out for 36. Winning in Melbourne then they battled hard to save the Sydney Test match. If Rishabh Pant stayed on the crease for half an hour then India could have won that match as well. But the courage, stamina, grit and determination that the young Indian players showed during that Australia tour was visible even this time around against England,” Gavaskar said on Sports Tak.
Cricket is a team sport: Gavaskar
Without naming names, Gavaskar stated that cricket is a team sport. He added that these two series are the best response for anyone who believes the team cannot succeed without him.
“That’s why I always say, you don’t need big names… If any big name thinks that India won’t win without him these two series have shown that whether you are there or not (it doesn’t matter). Cricket is a team sport. It doesn’t depend on one individual,” he added.
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