Gavaskar reserved special praise for Mohammed Siraj, who displayed an almost unplayable form. He also lauded the positive attitude radiating from the entire Indian team during the one-sided summit clash.

“Mohammed Siraj deserves all the praise. I also love the way everybody in the Indian team was laughing when he, having taken those wickets, chased the ball to the boundary. Just shows the energy of the man, the enthusiasm of the man to be totally involved. He is one of those cricketers who gives every ball, everything,” added the former Indian cricket team skipper.

Despite the early setbacks, India found hope in the stellar partnership of Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya. Gavaskar praised their resilience under pressure and their ability to rescue India from a precarious position.

Gavaskar emphasized, “Yes, I think what he showed was that an opening batter can bat anywhere down the order. It’s not easy the other way around, where a middle-order batter can come in and open the batting. It’s not easy, but an opening batter can be accommodated anywhere down the order, and he brings a left-handed dimension to the Indian batting line. If you could look at the top four, they’re all right and then the left-hander comes in, so it makes it a little bit difficult for the bowlers.”

Hardik Pandya emerged as India’s highest run-scorer in the match, crafting an impressive 87-run innings off 90 balls, ultimately helping India post a respectable total of 266 runs.

Gavaskar concluded, “There was, of course, Hardik Pandya at the other end who captained the Gujarat Titans. So he knows exactly you know what situation, how to adjust his game, and he was guiding him. So that was a very, very good partnership. Without that partnership, India would have 175 or 200.”

As the cricketing calendar intensifies, conversations about player workload management have gained prominence, especially with the imminent ICC World Cup 2023 on the horizon. Gavaskar underscores the importance of prudent management by the team’s leadership to ensure players remain injury-free.

Recognizing the intricate relationship players have with their own bodies, Gavaskar suggests that individuals and their physiotherapists are best equipped to assess their physical condition. He accentuates the necessity of allowing players to rest and recover promptly, averting the risk of exacerbating injuries.

He articulates, “Every individual knows and understands his body the best. The physiotherapist also knows. Players know where they have a niggle and where their body is failing. It is necessary to rest that player because if you do not rest him for three-four days at that point in time, then that injury may aggravate.”

As the Asia Cup 2023 unfolds and cricket aficionados eagerly anticipate the matches, Gavaskar’s seasoned perspectives add depth to the narrative, emphasizing the rich history, rivalries, and player welfare that contribute to the cricketing spectacle.

India lost the third Test in the Border-Gaoskar Trophy. Rohit Sharma lost 10 wickets on the first day of that match. India could not survive a whole day at the crease which Sunil Gavaskar cannot accept at all. He became the teacher of the Indian batsmen before appearing in the fourth Test.

Gavaskar was one of the best batsmen in Test cricket when it came to staying at the crease. Coach Rahul Dravid is the batsman of that planet but Gavaskar kept Rohit with his own advice. He said, “The hand that is upper while holding the bat, determines which direction the bat will go. And the lower hand determines the speed of the bat. Therefore, to reduce the speed of batting, the lower hand should be kept towards the middle. The upper hand will determine whether the bat will come straight or cross.”

Gavaskar gave another piece of advice. He said, “You should bat with a little lean. Learn to talk to the ball. Just as a good wicketkeeper rises with the bounce of the ball, so should the batter. If you can keep your head on the line of the ball, you can easily decide which direction to play the shot. But if a batsman doesn’t bend too much, it will be difficult to play against spinners.”
India won the first two matches. After wins in Nagpur and Delhi, the third match was played in Indore. India lost to Australia in three days. The fourth Test starts on Thursday. India leads the series by 2-1. India will reach the final of the World Championship only if they beat Australia in the last Test. Australia has already paved its way.

In such a situation, it is not known whether the Indian team will take Gavaskar’s advice or not. However, it is believed that Mohammed Shami will be returned to the team in the Test. India can increase its strength in the bowling department by returning the pacer of Bengal.

Kishan shared a 290-run partnership with Virat Kohli in 190 balls. Ishan was dismissed in 36 overs in that match. On that day in the 51-year history of ODI cricket, the world was going to see the first individual triple century.

Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar opened up about Ishan’s great performance. He said that the triple century on that day was unfortunately not seen, but it will be seen soon. And that’s from Ishan Kishan’s bat.

Gavaskar further said, “Ishan has made himself known by scoring a double century against Bangladesh in Chittagong. A double century in a 50-over match is a great feat. Ishan did it very easily. He did it in just 35-36 overs. If he can play like this, then he can get the first triple-century in ODI cricket. The way he bats, he can score a triple-century. Hindustan Times.

In fact, in the 1880s, Viv Richards’ ODI innings of 189 runs surprised the cricket fans. That inning has become permanent in the cricketing folklore.

25 years ago, Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar’s devastating 194-run innings against India spread regret among his fans – the regret of not being able to score that double century. Saeed Anwar’s record of 194 in ODI cricket lasted for many years.

Twelve years later, in 2009, Zimbabwe’s Charles Coventry raised hopes of a double century in an ODI against Bangladesh, but he was also stuck at 194 runs. However, Sachin Tendulkar got a double century in 50-over cricket. In 2010, against South Africa. Rohit Sharma, Chris Gayle, Virender Sehwag, Fakhar Zaman, Martin Guptill, and Ishan Kishan have scored double centuries in 50-over cricket. Of these, Rohit alone has three double centuries.

But what spinner will be left out? Former Indian captain’s question, what is the need to keep Axar Patel in the team when he is not completing the bowling quota of 4 overs? Gavaskar made these comments in a discussion with the media called Ajatak. He said, ‘Indian team has to think a little about their bowling attack. Do they need to play two spinners? Or should a spinner sit and play an extra batter? Whether Pant and Karthik can both be fielded also needs to be considered. By playing Suryakumar at number four, Pant at number five, Hardik at number six, and Dinesh Karthik at number seven, the batting depth can be increased.’

Sunny also said to the team management along with Rohit Sharma, ‘Now Hardik Pandya has started to bowl. He can be used as a fifth bowler. Or one spinner can be seated and another bowler can also be taken. Boundaries are short for spinners. The fear of the spinners digesting sixes remains. So, Harshal can be played in that place.’

Gavaskar favors not keeping Axar Patel in the playing XI. Sunny also said to the team management along with Rohit Sharma, “Axar Patel is being bowled 2-1 overs in every match, no matter how you finish bowling him, why is he not going? So what is the need to take him to the team? He is not even batting at number 7. He is a good player and played well against West Indies but when Rohit doesn’t trust his bowling. Then someone should be played, who can be bowled for 3-4 overs.”

However, the Indian team management did not listen to the opinion of the local legend. Axar Patel has been dropped in the race for the finals. Wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik is out.

Sunil Gavaskar said on Sports Talk, “It is very difficult to understand who Kohli is talking about. If Kohli mentions the name, then they can go and ask if you contacted them. If we are talking about former players who played with Kohli, then everyone knows who among them comes on TV. They should go and find out why there is no message!”

After this, Gavaskar directly attacked Kohli. His question is exactly the message he wanted. What encouragement was he looking for? But his captaincy was missed. Then what will be the motivation? After this, the legend said, “You are now playing as an ordinary cricketer. That role should be emphasized because now there is no need to think about others.

After winning the World Cup in 1985, Sunil Gavaskar left the captaincy. Raising that topic, he said, he did not receive any message even during his tenure. He partied with his teammates on the night of his captaincy and got hugs from them, but he feels that not much should be expected from him.

Virat Kohli is one of the best Indian cricketers and one of the most successful captains. But after losing the T20 World Cup last year, the rhythm was broken. He suddenly gave up the captaincy of the T20 team. After this, he was removed from ODI captaincy. After losing the Test series in South Africa in January, he suddenly stepped down from the captaincy of the red ball. Kohli opened his mouth publicly for the first time in this context. His pride that no one was there except Dhoni in tough times, everyone commented on TV. Kohli spoke about his deep relationship with Dhoni at the end of the Pakistan match. The former captain said that this relationship is so beautiful because both of them are not insecure about each other.