Former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has lashed out at the England cricket team for their "grumpy" attitude after India refused to end play early on Day 5 of the fourth Test in Manchester. With only draw possible, England offered to wrap things up, but Indian batters Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar declined as they were determined to complete their centuries.
Several English players expressed frustration as they felt India should have accepted the offer. However Gavaskar came out in strong defence of India’s decision, reminding England that they cannot always expect the game to bend to their preferences.
In his column for Sportstar, Gavaskar pointed out that the Indian batters had every right to continue playing after the hard work they had put in to save the match. He also slammed England for turning to part-time bowlers like Harry Brook and then complaining about the batters cashing in.
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Sunil Gavaskar Wants England to Stop Expecting Special Treatment
Gavaskar took a sharp dig at England’s attitude, calling it a classic case of double standards.
"Everything cannot be done according to what the England team wants. This is yet another example of that old syndrome: when we do it, it’s right; when the opposition does the same, it’s wrong. Those days are long gone, and no one, least of all the Indian team, is going to simply accept it," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.
He also mentioned that some England players seemed irritated when Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar decided to carry on.
"Towards the end of the Test, a few grumpy English players were unhappy that the batters at the crease…declined the offer to end the day’s play…," Gavaskar added.
Gavaskar felt that England ignored the fact that India had every right to play on as their batters were close to centuries.
"The England players felt that, since there was no chance of a result, the Indians should have accepted the offer to conclude proceedings. They seemed to forget that two teams are playing out there, and if one decides to continue, the other simply has to accept it."
He added that England should not have bowled part-timers like Brook and then complained when the batters made runs off them.
"What they overlooked was the hard work and resilience the batters had shown against frontline bowlers for over four hours to reach the 80s. England should have denied them with proper bowlers rather than whining about them getting there against Harry Brook. A Test century isn’t easy and doesn’t come every match, so the batters were fully entitled to bat on and reach their personal landmarks," he highlighted.
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"I Would’ve Told Them to Keep Batting" - Sunil Gavaskar on How He’d Have Responded
If he were leading the Indian team in such a situation, Gavaskar said he would have encouraged the batters to keep batting and send a message.
"If I were the captain, I’d have told them to keep batting and play out the remaining overs, tiring out the fielders even more – especially after the shenanigans by the English players once their offer was declined," he stated.
He also pointed out that England missed a chance to bring back their fast-bowlers, which could have forced the umpires to stop play due to bad light.
"The natural light was deteriorating, and the floodlights were on. Had Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse been given the ball, the umpires might have intervened and stopped play – so perhaps England missed a trick there," he asserted.
