Legendary Indian cricketer, Sunil Gavaskar has said that India is opting to prepare rank turners so that their bowlers will be able to take 20 wickets in every Test match. During a recent chat with India Today, Gavaskar said that India might have made more sporting wickets if Jasprit Bumrah had been available to lead the Indian bowling attack.
India suffered a 9-wicket loss in the third Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Indore by 9 wickets on a pitch that turned square from the morning session of Day 1. India got bundled out for 109 runs in the first innings in Indore and they never managed to get ahead of the 8-ball. The hosts posted a target of 76 runs in the final innings, which Australia was able to chase down with ease, courtesy of Travis Head’s 49*.
ALSO READ: ICC Rates Indore Pitch At Poor After the Game Ended In Less Than 7 Sessions
During a chat with India Today, Sunil Gavaskar said, “Taking 20 wickets is not going to be easy in India. On a lot of Indian pitches, without your ace bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami and a slightly inexperienced Mohammed Siraj, I don’t think that bowling attack is such (strong). But with a little bit of help from a dry pitch, India can probably take 20 wickets. I think that is the thinking behind preparing such pitches.”
The former India captain said that the hosts did not have an option but to play to their bowling strength so that they book a spot in the World Test Championship Final.
Sunil Gavaskar explained, “For India to reach the World Test Championship Final, they did not have any other options (than producing turning tracks). If you would have had a strong attack, maybe you could have done something different but your strength is your spinners and therefore I think these pitches are being made. You do not want a flat pitch where the batters go out and dominate. These pitches are testing the temperament of the batters.”
ALSO READ: Aakash Chopra Feels Indian Batters Lacked Resilience In The Indore Test
Asked about who was the best batter of spin he had ever seen, Sunil Gavaskar had no hesitation in naming VVS Laxman and pointed at his iconic innings at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Former Indian skipper said, “VVS Laxman is the best player of spin I have ever seen. VVS in Eden 2001, and Mumbai 2004/05 showed spin batting of highest quality.”
