Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar expressed his disappointment with the Indian batting team’s performance in the World Test Championship (WTC) Finals. After losing consecutive finals to New Zealand in 2021 and Australia in 2023, the Indian batting lineup failed to deliver against quality pacers on the seaming pitches of England.
Sunil Gavaskar, who holds the record for the most Test runs by an Indian after Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, revealed his surprise at the lack of Indian batters seeking his insights. He emphasized the need for introspection and improvement in their techniques.
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“If the batters are making the same mistakes over and over again, you need to ask what has happened with your technique. How have you tried to improve the batter? Have you tried to tell him, maybe take a different guard? Don’t take a leg-stump guard, take a middle and off-stump guard,” Sunil Gavaskar said in an interview with the Indian Express.
Sunil Gavaskar recalled an incident when he advised Virender Sehwag to switch to an off-stump guard during a lean patch. He explained that altering the guard could help batters with limited footwork identify the ball’s position and avoid reaching out for deliveries.
Indian batters have struggled against quality pacers in overseas conditions, and their underperformance in high-pressure games has been a major factor in the team’s lack of ICC titles since 2013. Sunil Gavaskar, with his wealth of experience and remarkable record, can provide valuable guidance to improve batting techniques. However, it is observed that modern-day Indian batters often hesitate to seek insights from senior cricketers.
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In the 2023 WTC Final, the Indian batting lineup failed to surpass 300 runs in the first innings. Only Ajinkya Rahane’s crucial knock of 89 helped them reach a total of 296 runs. Ultimately, led by Rohit Sharma, the team suffered a defeat by 209 runs as Australia posted a commanding total of 469 runs in their first innings.
