AUS vs IND: Sunil Gavaskar clears the air about his fiery criticism of Rishabh Pant in the MCG Test
Sunil Gavaskara legendary figure in cricket and a steadfast pillar of Indian cricket on and off the field, he always wore his passion for the game on his sleeve. However, his emotions occasionally take center stage, especially when the team faces challenging situations. A similar incident took place on the fourth day of the Boxing Day Test in the Melbournewhen Rishabh Pant dismissed his wicket with a reckless shot. The dismissal was not liked by Gavaškar, whose honest reaction was during the commentary ABC radio it quickly went viral on social media. Now, the iconic cricketer has offered to clarify his much-discussed remarks, shedding light on his perspective.
Sunil Gavaskar’s viral reaction to Rishabh Pant’s dismissal resonated with the emotions of Indian fans
The Indian team was in a critical position when Pant returned to the pavilion. The top order had already succumbed to Australia’s bowlers and the Indian innings desperately needed a partnership to reach anywhere near the mammoth total of 474 runs that the Australians scored in their first innings. Versatile Ravindra Jadeja and wicketkeeper-batsman Pant gave hope to the fans, but Pant’s irresponsible shot selection proved to be a hindrance to the team.
“You fool! stupid! stupid! You have two players in the field and you still go for it. You missed the previous shot and look where you got caught. You caught the third man deep. That is the toss of your wicket. Not in the situation India was in. You have to understand the situation as well. You can’t say it’s your natural game. I’m sorry it’s not your natural game. That’s a stupid shot. That really let your team down. He should not go to that (Indian) dressing room, he should go to another dressing room.” Gavaskar said.
Gavaskar performed his commentary duties with Harsha Bhogle until Pant’s dismissal came. The Indian legend was fired up by the dynamic knock and lashed out at the manner in which Pant gave away his wicket to the Aussies.
Also read: AUS vs IND: Here’s the reason for Travis Head’s strange celebration after Rishabh Pant’s dismissal on Day 5 of the MCG Test
Gavaskar explains his angry reaction to Pant’s dismissal
After his angry reaction went viral on social media and became the talk of the town, Gavaskar has now given an explanation about it. According to Gavaskar, the main reason for his anger was the egoistic intent of Pant’s shot.
“Honestly, this game made me. Indian cricket made me. So when I see someone as talented as Rishabh Pant play that shot and I had no problem with the first shot he played. The reason I got upset was the ego that took over the next ball. I just got hit in the middle trying a similar shot. I’ll show the bowler who’s boss. Test cricket is not easy.” he said.
Gavaskar further remarked that if Pant’s shot had been a 6, he would have appreciated the keeper’s shot, but there is a fine line between carelessness and carelessness. According to Gavaskar, Pant crossed the line and bounced off his wicket with that shot.
Also read: AUS vs IND: Sunil Gavaskar and Ricky Ponting offer contrasting views on Yashasvi Jaiswal’s controversial dismissal in the MCG Test
