- 2 days ago
India great Sunil Gavaskar has backed the Shubman Gill-led young side to bounce back from the Lord's Test heartbreak and win the five-match series 3-2 with victories in Manchester and at the Oval.
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00:00Joining us, cricket analyst in Mr. Sunil Gavaskar.
00:04Saibai, firstly, how would you sum up this particular loss?
00:08I mean, there are many ways of looking at it.
00:10One can be that it is heartbreaking, as we're saying it on our broadcast.
00:14The other could be, you know, so close yet so far.
00:17It was a golden opportunity for India to go 2-1 up.
00:20How do you see this particular loss?
00:23First and foremost, I'm not outside the ground, I'm inside the ground.
00:27And so you could say both, actually.
00:32You know, it was heartbreaking.
00:34It was, you know, so near yet so far.
00:36Because when you lose by the margin of 22 runs, you know,
00:39you know that you could have, with a bit of luck, gone past that total
00:43and gone 2-1 up in the series.
00:47So it's disappointing, very, very disappointing from Indian cricket
00:52and Indian cricket fans' point of view.
00:54But you have to admire the way our lower-order batters,
00:59particularly, say, Nitesh Kumar Reddy,
01:02Jaspreet Bhubra and Mahmoud Siraj's battle to try and take India over the line.
01:09Saibai, let's talk about Ravindra Jadeja.
01:11He got 70-odd in the first innings.
01:14And this 61.
01:15Is it fair to say that this 61, which is a standout innings,
01:19if I was to compare both teams in the second innings,
01:22where it was probably not the best conditions to bat on,
01:25this 61 didn't deserve to be on the losing side?
01:29Yes.
01:30I deliberately did mention Jadeja because, you know,
01:32everybody knows what a handicap.
01:34He needed, you know, these partnerships with Nitesh,
01:37as well as, you know, with Jaspreet and Mahmoud Siraj.
01:40But his has been a fabulous contribution right throughout the series.
01:45He's picked up the odd wicket.
01:46He's been brilliant in the field.
01:48But as a batter, he really has done, you know, so good as a batter.
01:53Being given the responsibility of batting in the top order.
01:56When you're batting in the field at 5 or 6,
01:59you're in the top order.
02:00And you can see the result.
02:01Here's the man who's got a couple of triple-hundreds
02:03in the first class to get in our anti-trophy.
02:05And we've never really given him that batting order
02:08because we've had batters for them.
02:10So at number 7 and 8, he's made an invaluable contribution.
02:14Good to see him getting the runs.
02:18But again, sad that he was on the losing side.
02:21So, as we said that, you know,
02:23it was an outstanding effort there from Ravindra Jadeja.
02:25But if I was to nitpick and look at...
02:27And we're only doing that because we so wanted India to go across the line
02:30because had they done that,
02:32this would have been one of the famous wins that India would have got
02:35at no other place but the home of cricket at Lourdes.
02:38Do you think at moments,
02:40the Indian batters, Jadeja and the tail-enders
02:44went into a bit of a shell?
02:45I know it wasn't an easy pitch to bat on.
02:48We've seen this throughout this test match.
02:49But even then, you've had, you know,
02:51somewhere between 2.5, 3 runs and overscored throughout this test match.
02:55But there was this moment of play
02:57when he was batting with the tail-enders
02:58that you actually went through a phase of play
03:00where only about a run and over was being scored.
03:03Could that have been slightly different?
03:05The approach could have been different?
03:06Or was it dictated by the fact that he was batting with the tail-enders?
03:10I think it was dictated by the fact that he was batting with the lower-order batters.
03:14Not really known for their batting ability.
03:16So, he was looking to farm the strike as much as possible.
03:18And in that case,
03:20also, you're a little bit worried about,
03:22you know, taking the risk,
03:24maybe going to aerial routes.
03:25And don't forget,
03:27he is playing for a franchise
03:29which believes in taking the game deep.
03:33So, you know,
03:33taking the game deep is what they look to do.
03:37And therefore,
03:39maybe that didn't quite work out.
03:41But, you know,
03:41that's what you're looking to do.
03:42Take the game as close to the England total as possible.
03:46Take the game deep.
03:46Exactly.
03:49That's exactly what he was trying to do.
03:51And at the end of the day,
03:52it was also undefeated.
03:53Plenty more to come with Mr. Gavaskar.
03:55But anyway,
03:56you know,
03:56we spoke about the lower-order contribution.
03:59What might have been
04:00had, you know,
04:00they stuck around for a little bit longer.
04:02But let's get to the elephant in the room.
04:05Let's get to the top order.
04:07193.
04:08I know the conditions weren't very easy.
04:11There was a bit of variable bounce as well.
04:13But with the top order that India had,
04:15did you expect a little bit better?
04:18Did Jadeja and Co needed a better base from the top order
04:21despite those conditions?
04:22Because, you know,
04:23you also must have played throughout your career.
04:25Whenever you bat on the fifth day of a test match,
04:28conditions are never easy.
04:29Pitches are always tough.
04:30But batters find a way,
04:31especially top order batters find a way
04:33to get some runs together.
04:36I think the new ball was used very well by England
04:38yesterday in the evening.
04:41And that's where, you know,
04:42India losing those three wickets.
04:43And then, of course,
04:44the night watchman Akash deep.
04:46That didn't help.
04:47Those three wickets, I think,
04:48were crucial.
04:50It was good bowling.
04:52The ball that got maybe
04:54Yashasvika as well maybe
04:55was a tad ambitious.
04:57Looking to play,
04:58pulled from outside the off stump.
05:00The wickets of Karun Nair and Shumantil
05:05to what you would call
05:06deliverance with the new ball,
05:08which Swann did.
05:10So tough,
05:11not always easy to play that.
05:14But if you're looking at,
05:16you know,
05:16I mean,
05:16there are so many turning points in the game.
05:19There's so many turning points
05:20which, you know,
05:22if India had taken a lead,
05:23if India had taken a lead
05:24of maybe a hundred runs.
05:26The whole story could have been different.
05:28But that's what
05:28a sport is all about.
05:30What if,
05:30what if,
05:31what if,
05:31what if this,
05:32what if that.
05:34At the end of the day,
05:35you've just got to accept that,
05:36you know,
05:37England were probably
05:38a lot more hungrier
05:39than India were.
05:42So you talk about
05:43turning points
05:44and I'll get to that.
05:46But,
05:46you know,
05:46as we look back
05:47at the entire test match,
05:49neck and neck,
05:50both teams,
05:51still the last ball
05:53that was bowled.
05:54Where do you really think,
05:55what are the areas
05:55that you think
05:56resulted in India losing this?
05:58Where do you think
05:59India really lost
05:59this particular test match?
06:02I think,
06:02I think when you look at the,
06:04we're talking about,
06:05you know,
06:05lower order contribution.
06:06Now it's a little bit unfair
06:07for,
06:08for teams to expect
06:10from the lower.
06:11But this is exactly
06:13where England
06:13are being well served.
06:15England were seven down
06:16to 271 in the first innings,
06:18if I recall correctly.
06:19And they went on
06:20to score 387.
06:21So the last three wickets
06:22added 116 runs.
06:25India were about
06:26353,
06:2767.
06:29And they were
06:29different for 387.
06:31So the last three wickets
06:32added 20 something runs.
06:34So that is where,
06:35you know,
06:36I think the lower order,
06:37if they had contributed
06:38maybe another 40,
06:3950 runs,
06:40that would have made
06:40the difference.
06:41So this is where
06:42I think India
06:43are at the moment,
06:44despite adding
06:44players like Washington
06:46Sundar
06:47and Nitesh Kumar
06:48Reddy,
06:49who are more
06:50batters than
06:51bowlers,
06:52down the order.
06:53It's not worked
06:54for India
06:55in this test,
06:56as well as
06:57in the first
06:58in the Birmingham test.
07:01They did get that
07:02contribution.
07:03And Jadeja
07:04and Washington
07:04Sundar did that well
07:05which one guild.
07:07So they did get
07:08that contribution,
07:09but India has
07:10not quite got
07:11that contribution
07:12and which is
07:12the reason why
07:14India wasn't able
07:15to take the big lead
07:16that was at one stage
07:17looked possible
07:18when Rishap Pant
07:19and Kiel Rahul
07:20were batting together
07:21on day two.
07:23Since you talk about
07:24that partnership
07:25that was brewing
07:26between Kiel Rahul
07:28and Rishap Pant
07:29and I'm looking
07:30for turning points,
07:31that Rishap Pant
07:32and I'm looking at it
07:33in hindsight,
07:33always 20-20 vision,
07:35that Rishap Pant
07:36run out,
07:37I think one of the
07:37crucial turning points
07:38of the match?
07:39The biggest turning point
07:41because both were
07:42batting so well,
07:43splendid batting
07:44by both,
07:45you know,
07:46it was like fire
07:46and ice combination,
07:48Rahul pretty calculated
07:49pool,
07:50you know,
07:50stroking smoothly
07:52and Rishap Pant
07:53all power and punch
07:54and,
07:55you know,
07:56really pushing
07:57the England
07:58bowling line up back.
08:00It was a relicking
08:01partnership
08:02and just that last
08:03over before lunch
08:04that run out
08:05changed things.
08:07Rahul did manage
08:08to get the 100
08:08after lunch
08:10but sometimes,
08:13you know,
08:13when you get into
08:14a situation
08:14where there's a run out,
08:15it can linger
08:16in your mind
08:17for a bit
08:18and maybe therefore,
08:19you know,
08:20after the 100,
08:20there was just
08:21a little sort of,
08:22you know,
08:23shot which got him out
08:24and so India
08:26lost two wickets
08:27of well-set batters
08:28in the space
08:30of what,
08:30about three or four
08:31weeks.
08:32Two new batters
08:33had to come together
08:33to try and build
08:34a partnership together
08:35so that wasn't easy.
08:37That takes me
08:39to where,
08:40you know,
08:40the spice was really
08:41added in this test match.
08:43It was the end
08:44of day three
08:45where,
08:45you know,
08:46there were verbals
08:46between the two teams,
08:47a bit of time wasting,
08:49a bit of gamesmanship.
08:50I know the Indian team
08:51wasn't happy
08:52but what I'd want
08:53to know from you
08:54is do you think
08:55that ruckus
08:56that happened
08:56at the end of
08:57day three
08:58with all the sledging
08:59and all the anger
09:00overflowing,
09:01did that distract
09:03the Indian team
09:04in any way
09:04because they had
09:05to bat after that?
09:06No,
09:07I don't think
09:07it distracted.
09:08If anything,
09:09it brought the Indian
09:10team together
09:10and that's how
09:11they were able
09:12to dismiss England
09:13for 192.
09:14Otherwise,
09:15there was nothing
09:15in the pitch.
09:16Otherwise,
09:17maybe England
09:17would have got
09:18to maybe 280,
09:19290 or thereabouts
09:21but something like that
09:23just gets everybody
09:24together
09:24and you would have
09:26seen that,
09:27you know,
09:27it wasn't just
09:27one person
09:28trying to sort of,
09:30you know,
09:30get in over there.
09:32It was pretty much
09:32the whole team
09:33that was in there.
09:34And so,
09:36therefore,
09:36I do believe
09:37that that last
09:38over thing
09:39in the final
09:41over of the
09:41third day's play
09:43brought the Indian
09:44team together.
09:45As you said,
09:46that it got
09:47the young team
09:48together
09:48and talking
09:49about a young
09:50team,
09:50I was just
09:51looking at the
09:51crowds that
09:52turned up at
09:53Lourdes.
09:53Remember,
09:54it was a Monday,
09:55chock-a-block,
09:57full house.
09:58That's a good
09:59reflection on this
09:59young Indian team
10:00because,
10:01you know,
10:02it takes a lot
10:03to bring the
10:04English cricket
10:05fan to the
10:05stadium.
10:06Clearly,
10:07with the kind
10:07of cricket
10:08that they've
10:08played,
10:08the kind
10:09of competitiveness
10:10that they've
10:10showed on the
10:11field so far
10:11in the three
10:12test matches,
10:13that's responsible
10:15for bringing so
10:16many people to
10:16the ground and
10:17that's a good
10:18sign for this
10:18young Indian team.
10:19It is,
10:21it's a very,
10:22very,
10:22you know,
10:23attractive team.
10:24They've played
10:25some really good
10:26cricket.
10:27We saw that in
10:28the first test
10:28match as well,
10:29where they scored
10:30800 plus runs
10:31and yet ended
10:33up on the
10:33losing side.
10:34Then they won
10:35in Birmingham
10:35in such an
10:37overwhelming
10:37manner.
10:38So,
10:38yes,
10:39I think the
10:40English cricket
10:41loving public
10:42knows that this
10:43Indian team is
10:44worth going
10:45miles to see
10:45and that's why
10:46the response
10:47of,
10:48of the last
10:50day.
10:50Also,
10:50I think,
10:51you know,
10:51the ticket prices
10:52were pretty much
10:52down.
10:53For the four
10:54days,
10:55the ticket prices
10:55were around
10:57150,
10:57200 pounds
10:58and more
10:59for some
11:00of the seats.
11:01I think today
11:01the standard
11:02ticket price
11:03was,
11:03I think,
11:0320 or 25 pounds.
11:04That's a big
11:05difference as well.
11:06And a lot of
11:07the people who
11:07came in today
11:08were of Indian
11:09origin,
11:10you know,
11:10maybe staying
11:11in England
11:11or visiting
11:12England.
11:13So,
11:13there were
11:14English fans
11:14all right,
11:15but I think
11:15the majority
11:16were Indian fans.
11:17That's true,
11:18that's true.
11:19As Mr.
11:20Gavaskar mentioned,
11:20a lot of them
11:21Indian fans,
11:22but the fact
11:22that India
11:23were up against
11:24it,
11:2458 for 4,
11:26yet those
11:26Indian fans
11:27turned up
11:27in large
11:28numbers,
11:29hoping that
11:30India can
11:30do,
11:31you know,
11:32the unthinkable
11:32which looked at
11:33that moment
11:33and pull off
11:34this chase.
11:35So,
11:35clearly a good
11:36reflection on
11:37this young
11:37Indian team.
11:38It has
11:38caught the
11:39imaginations
11:39of the Indian
11:41fans,
11:41at least,
11:42that reside
11:43in England.
11:43even though
11:44the crowds
11:45must have
11:46enjoyed this
11:47contest that
11:48is happening
11:49on the field,
11:50but it's poor
11:51Mohamed Siraj
11:52that's had to
11:52let go of
11:5315% of his
11:54match fee.
11:55My question
11:55to you is,
11:56and this is what
11:56Stuart Broad
11:57also put on
11:58social media,
11:58he said,
11:59fine,
11:59you'll find
12:00Siraj 15%
12:01of the match
12:02fee for
12:03celebrating,
12:04but what about,
12:05you know,
12:05let's say someone
12:06like Ashubmangil,
12:06his point is
12:07that why do
12:08bowlers get
12:09fined for
12:10celebrating?
12:10Batters can
12:11have a lot
12:11of verbal,
12:12they can
12:12say anything
12:13when they're
12:13fielding close
12:14into the
12:14batter,
12:15they don't
12:15get fined.
12:16Why go
12:16after fast
12:17bowlers?
12:17They are
12:18these,
12:18you know,
12:19fiery players,
12:20they will
12:20celebrate like
12:21that.
12:23That's because
12:23the batters
12:24or whoever
12:24is around
12:25the bat,
12:25they don't
12:26are not
12:27caught on
12:27camera.
12:29Here,
12:29I think,
12:29you know,
12:30you saw
12:30the cameras
12:31where,
12:32you know,
12:32he was
12:32celebrating.
12:33I actually
12:34didn't say
12:35anything wrong
12:35with that
12:35celebration
12:36because he
12:36wasn't giving
12:37the batter
12:38a send-off.
12:39Actually,
12:40when you give
12:40a send-off,
12:41you know,
12:41go or
12:42something,
12:43that is
12:43where I
12:44think you
12:44need to
12:44be fined.
12:45But if
12:45you're in
12:46the face
12:46saying,
12:46you know,
12:47got you,
12:47got you,
12:48got you,
12:48I don't
12:48think there
12:49is any
12:50reason for
12:51the player
12:54to be
12:54scummed
12:54for the
12:55matcher.
12:56I think
12:56it was
12:57just over
12:57the top
12:57as far
12:58as the
12:58matcher
12:59is concerned.
13:00And the
13:01contact,
13:02if you see
13:02the contact
13:03that happened,
13:04it was Ben
13:04Stokes
13:04who's come
13:05there.
13:06Sirajah's
13:06shoulder is
13:08a bit
13:08this way.
13:09Sorry,
13:09not Ben
13:10Stokes,
13:10Ben
13:11Duckett.
13:11He's the
13:12one who's
13:12made the
13:13contract.
13:16But,
13:17well,
13:18I mean,
13:18there you
13:19are.
13:19I think the
13:19matcher is
13:20taking the
13:20goal.
13:22Hopefully,
13:22Sirajah will
13:23next time
13:24celebrate a
13:25little bit
13:26subtly,
13:28maybe.
13:28Because at
13:29the end of
13:29the day,
13:30all you
13:31want is to
13:32keep on
13:33getting
13:33wickets.
13:33It doesn't
13:34matter what
13:35else happens.
13:36Sirajah,
13:36getting back
13:37to the
13:38test match,
13:38this was a
13:39valiant effort
13:40by the
13:40Indian team.
13:41But,
13:41unfortunately,
13:42they are 2-1
13:42down.
13:43Two test
13:44matches to
13:44go.
13:45They can't
13:45afford any
13:45more slip-ups.
13:46Do you
13:47think India
13:47can bounce
13:48back and
13:48still have
13:49an opportunity
13:49of winning
13:50this series
13:50from here
13:51on?
13:52Oh,
13:52yes.
13:53It's a very
13:53good team.
13:54India's got a
13:55very good
13:55bowling line-up.
13:56I think in
13:57Manchester,
13:58it will be a
13:59pitch where
14:00there will be
14:00a little more
14:00carry.
14:01These three
14:02pitches have
14:03been pretty
14:03low and
14:04slow.
14:04They haven't
14:05been what
14:05you see as
14:06the usual
14:07English pitches
14:08where there
14:08is a lot
14:09of seam
14:09movement,
14:10swing
14:10movement,
14:11swing,
14:11seam
14:16matches.
14:16Maybe a
14:17little bit
14:17at Leeds,
14:18but you'll
14:18certainly get
14:19more at
14:19Manchester,
14:20which will
14:20suit our
14:22new ball
14:22of that quite
14:23a lot.
14:24Also for the
14:25batter,
14:25because the
14:26batters like
14:26the ball to
14:27come out to
14:27the bat,
14:27they can play
14:28through the
14:28line.
14:29I would
14:30imagine that
14:30at Manchester,
14:32India has
14:32got a very
14:33good chance
14:33of levelling
14:34the series.
14:35Oval also
14:36will be a
14:37wicket where
14:37the ball will
14:37come out to
14:38the bat
14:38nicely.
14:39I think
14:40both these
14:40tests,
14:41India need
14:42to just
14:43have a
14:43little bit
14:43of luck
14:43on their
14:44side.
14:44They did
14:44have it
14:44here and
14:46at Leeds.
14:47A little bit
14:47of luck
14:47at Manchester
14:48and at
14:48the Oval
14:49and India
14:50to win this
14:50series 3-2.
14:51Alright,
14:52we'll leave
14:52it at that
14:53because I
14:53can see the
14:54staff there
14:55cleaning up
14:56the stadium.
14:56They won't
14:57allow you to
14:57be there for
14:58very long.
14:59Test match
14:59is done.
14:59Thank you
15:00so much
15:00for taking
15:00our time
15:01speaking to
15:02us here
15:02on India
15:03today.
15:03Of course,
15:03Mr. Gavaskar
15:04is going to
15:04be back as
15:06we then
15:06prepare and
15:07look ahead
15:08to the next
15:08test match
15:09that will be
15:09played in
15:10Manchester.
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