Sunil Gavaskar draws parallels between India's series victory over England and Border Gavaskar Trophy 2020/21 triumph
Published - 03 Mar 2024, 04:13 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:27 AM
Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar praised the Rohit Sharma-led side for defeating England in the ongoing home Test series despite the absence of key players. Sunil Gavaskar also compared this victory to Team India’s triumph in Australia during the 2020-21 tour.
The Indian team has taken an unassailable 3-1 lead over the Ben Stokes-led side in the five-match Test series after securing a five-wicket victory in Ranchi. It’s worth mentioning that the home team suffered a 28-run loss during the series opener in Hyderabad.
The Men in Blue missed the services of veteran players Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami. KL Rahul played only one Test match in Visakhapatnam before being ruled out for the remainder of the series. The team handed debuts to four cricketers in the series.
Speaking to Sports Tak, Sunil Gavaskar commended the resilience and determination displayed by India’s young players, likening their performance to their impressive showing in Australia.
Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Akash Deep, and Rajat Patidar made their debuts for India in red-ball cricket in the absence of key players. While Patidar is yet to make his mark, the other debutants have made notable contributions to the team’s series win over England.
Sarfaraz scored half-centuries in both innings of his debut Test in Rajkot. Jurel earned the Player of the Match award for his scores of 90 and 39 in Ranchi. Akash Deep, who replaced Jasprit Bumrah, made an impact by taking three wickets in England’s first innings.
The fifth and final Test match between India and England is scheduled to be played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala from March 7 to 11.
India Missed A Lot Of Big Names In Australia – Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar highlighted India’s victories in Gabba and Melbourne during the 2020-21 tour. He commended their resilience, especially after the setback of being bowled out for 36, and their determination in battling to save the Sydney Test match.
“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…” Gavaskar added.
India faced humiliation in the opening Test against Australia in Adelaide, recording their lowest-ever innings total of 36 runs during the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Then-Indian captain Virat Kohli left the team after the first Test due to the birth of his first child.
Despite the initial setback, India staged a remarkable comeback and went unbeaten for the remainder of both series, clinching victories in the second and fourth Tests, and settling for a draw in the third.
Besides Kohli, several key players were absent from the Indian Test squad in both series, including Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Hanuma Vihari against Australia.
Also read: “Dhruv Jurel is another MS Dhoni in the making..”- Sunil Gavaskar
