Sunil Gavaskar pressures Gautam Gambhir to take action against underperforming Mohammed Siraj

In a bold and fiery call, legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has demanded the dropping of star pacer Mohammed Siraj for the fifth and final Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against Australia.

Gavaskar believes that it’s time to be brutally honest with Siraj about his poor performances on Australian tracks that have been highly favorable to fast bowlers so far in the ongoing five-match Test series.

Sunil Gavaskar calls for brutal honesty with Mohammed Siraj, urges his omission for New Year's Test

Sunil Gavaskar has urged the Indian cricket team to take a strong stance and tell Mohammed Siraj that his recent performances with the ball have simply not been up to par so far in the ongoing Test series, as he suggested that the fast bowler should be dropped for the crucial New Year’s Test.

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Mohammed Siraj’s performance against Australia in the ongoing Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) has raised eyebrows, as the Indian pacer bowled 23 overs but failed to take a single wicket while conceding a whopping 122 runs at an alarming economy rate of 5.30.

Siraj's struggles were clear, with only three maidens in his spell, and India’s hopes of bouncing back in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 were further dented as Australia already amassed a commanding 474 runs in their first innings, leaving the tourists reeling at 164/5 by the end of Day 2.

Siraj needs to be told that he is left out of the team for non-performance: Sunil Gavaskar

After the end of the play of Day 2 in Melbourne, Sunil Gavaskar insisted that the Indian cricket team must stop sugar-coating the issue and give Siraj a clear message about his performance.

The legendary Indian batter also believes that Siraj would benefit from being dropped rather than given a "rest," as resting him could send the wrong signals to others about their place in the squad.

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Sunil Gavaskar was quoted as saying by Star Sports: “I think Siraj, perhaps, needs a little bit of a break. In the sense that I am not saying a break, he needs to be told that he is left out of the team for non-performance. There has to be a situation where you can’t beat around the bush.

"You need to be brutally upfront and say, ‘Look, your performance has not been up to scratch, and therefore you are being dropped.’ When you start talking about ‘rest,’ players get wrong ideas. They feel they don’t need to up their game. But I think Siraj needs to be told, ‘Look, you are not bowling as well as we expected you to on pitches that have been helpful.’ That is something that needs to be told.”

Sunil Gavaskar demands Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana's inclusion in SCG Test

In a bold suggestion, Sunil Gavaskar has called for Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana’s inclusion in the New Year’s Test against Australia, starting on January 3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney.

He feels Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana would be great backups for Jasprit Bumrah and provide a fresh and much-needed boost to India’s fast bowling attack in the ongoing BGT 2024-25. Gavaskar signed off by saying, “If you want to make two changes. Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana to support Jasprit Bumrah. By all means, do that.”