AUS vs IND: Sunil Gavaskar clears the air about his fiery critique of Rishabh Pant in the MCG Test

Sunil Gavaskar, a legendary figure in cricket and a steadfast pillar of Indian cricket both on and off the field, has always worn his passion for the game on his sleeve. However, his emotions occasionally take center stage, especially when the team faces challenging situations. A similar instance unfolded on the fourth day of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, when Rishabh Pant threw his wicket away with a reckless shot. The dismissal did not sit well with Gavaskar, whose candid reaction during his commentary on ABC Radio quickly went viral on social media. Now, the iconic cricketer has offered a clarification on his much-discussed remarks, shedding light on his perspective.

Sunil Gavaskar’s viral reaction to Rishabh Pant’s dismissal echoed Indian fans’ emotions

The Indian team was in a critical position when Pant headed his way back to the pavilion. The top-order had already succumbed to the Australian bowlers and the Indian innings desperately needed a partnership to reach somewhere near to the mammoth total of 474 runs scored by the Aussies in their first innings. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and wicket-keeper batter Pant did provide some hope to the fans but Pant’s irresponsible shot selection proved a liability to the team.

“Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! You’ve got two fielders there and you still go for that. You’ve missed the previous shot and look where you’ve been caught. You’ve caught at deep third man. That is throwing away your wicket. Not in the situation that India was. You have to understand the situation as well. You cannot say that is your natural game. I am sorry that is not your natural game. That is a stupid shot. That is letting your team down badly. He should not be going in that (Indian) dressing room, he should be going into the other dressing room.” Gavaskar had said.

Gavaskar was performing his commentary duties with Harsha Bhogle while Pant’s dismissal took place. The Indian legend blasted at the dynamic batter and gave an angry rant on the manner in which Pant gifted his wicket to the Australians.

Also Read: AUS vs IND: Here’s the reason behind Travis Head’s weird celebration after dismissing Rishabh Pant on Day 5 of MCG Test

Gavaskar explains his angry reaction at Pant’s dismissal

After his angry reaction went viral on social media and became a talking point, Gavaskar has now given an explanation on the matter. According to Gavaskar, the major reason behind his anger was the egoistic intent of the shot from Pant.

“Honestly, this game has made me. Indian cricket has made me. So when I see somebody as talented as Rishabh Pant play that shot and I had no problems with the first shot he played. The reason why I got upset was the ego took over for the next ball. I’ve just been hit in the midriff attempting a similar shot. I’m gonna show the bowler who’s the boss. Test cricket is not easy.” he said.

Gavaskar further remarked if Pant’s shot would’ve gone for a 6, he would’ve appreciated the wicket-keeper batter, but there is a fine line between being carefree and careless. According to Gavaskar, Pant had crossed the line and given his wicket away with that shot.

Also Read: AUS vs IND: Sunil Gavaskar and Ricky Ponting offer contrasting views on Yashasvi Jaiswal’s controversial dismissal in MCG Test

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