India vs England 2021: No One Saw This Coming - Sunil Gavaskar Reacts To India's Batting Display

Former Indian Captain Sunil Gavaskar was surprised by the way Indian first innings turned out as India were stuttering at 73 runs for the loss of four wickets. Rohit Sharma was dismissed by Jofra Archer’s brilliant bowling for just 6 runs, and India did not get the start that they were expecting from the openers after England have put on a mountain of a score of 578 in their first innings.

Shubman Gill looked very comfortable at the crease for 29 runs, but couldn’t keep his on-drive down as James Anderson pulled off a stunning catch at the age of 38. Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara together played calm and slow to build a partnership, but Dominic Bess dismissed the Indian captain and vice-captain in succession very cheaply leaving India’s ray of hope in jeopardy.

Gavaskar Feels India Has A Lot Of Work Cut Out

Sunil Gavaskar mentioned that England’s strength was new-ball bowling and If India could have negotiated it, then India could have been in a good position. He told about the dismissal of Shubman Gill of an excellent catch from James Anderson while Rohit poked at a beauty of a delivery which he could have left alone. Gavaskar added that the luck did not favour India and reckoned that a lot of work is cut out for India.

“No one saw this coming. We saw the way Dom Bess and Jack Leach were batting in the morning. There was nothing in the pitch to worry the batsmen,”

“But yes, I think we knew that England’s strength is new-ball bowling. So if India could have survived the new ball without losing too many wickets, then they would have been in a very good position. But as luck would have it, Rohit Sharma got a beauty of a delivery, though you’ve got to say he might have poked at it, just a little bit more. And then Shubman Gill wasn’t able to keep the on drive down and James Anderson, at 38, what a catch he took. So India will have their work cut out,” Gavaskar said on the Star Sports Network during the lunch interval on Day 3.

“Virat Played For The Turn, There Was No Turn” –  Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar was in praise of England spinner Dominic Bess who picked up four wickets out of the six wickets that fell today. Gavaskar told that Bess showed that it was the perfect way to set up a batsman and Virat played for the turn where there wasn’t any turn. Gavaskar also mentioned the ball dipping which makes it difficult for the batsman to control their drives.

“I think Dom Bess in particular bowled exceedingly well. They way he got Virat Kohli out was an example of how he was trying to set the batsman up,. “Virat played for the turn, there was no turn. And the ball has bounced, so he’s been getting that with the way he’s holding the ball back. The ball has been dipping and that is so difficult then to be able to control your drives or control your defense,” Sunil Gavaskar added.

Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant (Image Credit: Twitter)Meanwhile, India has ended the third day at 257 for the fall of 6 wickets, thanks to Rishabh Pant(91) and Pujara(73) who displayed excellent counterattack to the England bowling.