Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar gave his clarification on losing his cool on Rishabh Pant after wicket-keeper threw his wicket away on day three of the ongoing Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. Known for his unorthodox cricketing shots, Pant lost his wicket while playing his favourite ramp shot against Scott Boland at a time when he was forming a crucial partnership with Ravindra Jadeja. In an attempt to get a boundary, Pant ended up giving a catch to Nathan Lyon at deep thirdman region which frustrated Gavaskar, who was present on the commentary panel for ABC.
After getting unhappy with Rishabh Pant’s dismissal, Sunil Gavaskar lashed out at Indian wicket-keeper in the commentary box. “Stupid, stupid, stupid. You’ve got two fielders there, and you still go for that. You missed the previous shot. And look where you have been caught. You have been caught at deep third man. That is throwing away your wicket. Not in the situation that India was in, you have to understand the situation as well,” Gavaskar said in frustration after Pant’s dismissal.
I am what I am because of Indian cricket: Sunil Gavaskar
A day after that incident, Sunil Gavaskar finally revealed why he lost his cool against Rishabh Pant for throwing his wicket away in Melbourne. The legendary Indian cricketer said that it was his passion for Indian cricket that he lost his cool. He was upset with Pant after the wicket-keeper tried to play the same shot that he missed on the prevous delivery.
"I wonder whether I should be that passionate about Indian cricket now, now that I’ve, you know, I’m almost for 35 years retired, but I am what I am because of Indian cricket. I’m not sitting here [in the comm box] because of my looks. Not because I’m vertically challenged or horizontally blessed. I am here only because only because I played for India," Gavaskar was quoted as saying by News18.
"When I see somebody as talented as Rishabh Pant play that shot; I had no problems with that first shot which played and missed. The reason I got upset was the ego took over for the next ball," the former cricketer further said.
