Sunil Gavaskar questions Sachin Tendulkar, James Anderson absence during Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy presentation
Sunil Gavaskar questioned this in his column for Sportstar. 'This was the first-ever series named after Sachin Tendulkar and Jimmy Anderson, two of cricket's greatest legends. One would have expected both to be present to give the trophy to the two captains, especially since the series ended in a draw,' he said.
Anderson continues to play domestic cricket and was in action in England at the time that the series was taking place. Tendulkar, meanwhile, was there for the unveiling of the trophy and Gavaskar has said that the former India captain was in England to the best of his knowledge. Gavaskar drew parallels to what happened earlier in the year in Australia, where he was not included in the presentation ceremony and it was just Allan Border at the end of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The reasoning given at the time was that this was because it was Australia that had won the series.
'To the best of one's knowledge, both were in England at the time. So, were they simply not invited? Or was this similar to what happened in Australia earlier this year, when only Allan Border was asked to present the Border-Gavaskar Trophy because Australia had won the series? Since this England series was drawn, perhaps neither was asked to attend the presentation,' he said.
Gavaskar also slammed the practice of giving the newly instated Pataudi medal to the winning captain of the series instead of the player of the series. India captain Shubman Gill and England skipper Ben Stokes were both given a medal each with the series drawn 2-2. 'Mostly around the world, administrators are brought in to ensure profits and are quite good at it, but they may not have much knowledge about the history of the sport they are presiding over. So, these little gestures are not in their scheme of things. Nobody from the Pataudi family was there either, for the Pataudi medal, which was to be presented to the winning team's captain.
'The drawn series showed how silly this idea was of trying to make up to the Pataudis by retiring the trophy named after them. Every time the series is drawn, the medal can't be presented, can it? Wouldn't it be better, therefore, to have the medal for the Man of the Series than give it to the winning team's captain? And what if the captain himself has had an ordinary series and had little impact on the result?' said Gavaskar.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
7 hours ago
- The Hindu
It was clear that we were in England to create history: Sai Sudharsan
Tamil Nadu batter B. Sai Sudharsan recently made his Test debut against England. The 23-year-old showed good promise in tackling challenging conditions, even if the returns were middling. Earlier this year, he had a breakthrough performance in the IPL, finishing as the top scorer with 759 runs. In an exclusive chat with The Hindu, the left-handed batter spoke about the exciting Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the thrilling climax at The Oval where India won by six runs on the final morning to level the series (2-2), and much more. Excerpts: You have now played for India in all three formats. How was the feeling of making your Test debut? To be honest, the Test (debut) feeling was completely different. Yes, the white ball (debuts) were also very prestigious. But compared to those two debut games, when I was standing for the national anthem, it felt really special. And especially playing in England, a place I like, and I have played before... growing up, everyone used to say Test cricket is the ultimate, and I finally experienced it. It gives you that unbelievable feeling, or complete fulfilment, or satisfaction once the game finishes. It was an exciting series, with every match going to the last day... Shubman had recently said that 'this is not a young team but a gun team'. It was not just a punchline, and the thought process behind that was that everybody has come here doing so many good things, or is capable of doing a lot of good things. Right from the first team meeting, it was clear that we are here to create history. It would have been easy to say this is a young team, and we are here to learn. But the thought process when we entered the series was not that we were coming in like a new team, but that we had come here to dominate and win the series. Talk us through that exciting fifth Test at The Oval, especially when Joe Root and Harry Brook had a partnership going on the fourth day? We had our disappointments. We can see that they are playing well and they are coming closer to the target, and we had our moments. But that's the essence of Test cricket. We had done well on day one. On day two, we fought back, taking wickets. On day three, Washi (Washington Sundar) played a tremendous knock to give us a good finish. On day four, they had the best batting conditions. But we knew it was a matter of one wicket, which would open up the game. The way Brook was batting, we knew we would get a chance with him taking so many risks. They were England's best pair. They had good batters left, but they might not provide the same control these two did. So if we get one or two wickets, runs will dry up, it will be game-changing, and that's what happened. Akash Deep, Prasidh (Krishna) and (Mohammed) Siraj, playing in a wicket like that with just three fast bowlers, bowled their heart out in two innings. I could see on day four they were tired, but they kept on pushing, and because of their effort, we (stayed in the game) and got the rain break. So the bowlers were fresh the next morning. Wearing the India jersey in a Test series at England… it's a feeling I will never forget. Every moment, every session taught me something new. This win is special 🇮🇳🙏 — Sai Sudharsan (@sais_1509) August 4, 2025 How would you rate your performance? There are so many things to reflect on, so many improvements to make. Even if we have a great season, we will have areas for improvement. But if it is just an ok series like this, there are a lot of points to work on, whether it's the mindset or even from a run-making point of view. Were there any regrets in not converting those starts? Definitely, it was disappointing not to convert after getting those starts, and I should have made a big knock. It was one of the most significant learnings. Having got through the difficult phase, in India, you could open up and be aggressive. But, in England, you have to keep it tight and do what you did in the first hour. These are things I want to learn and structure my batting around. Another thing is to ensure you never miss an opportunity to score off a bad ball to put the pressure back on the bowler. There are layers to it, depending on the pitch and the kind of scoring options you have. So that idea and approach towards the innings, I want to improve on. You were dropped after the first Test. Were you concerned you might not get another chance? I was not thinking about it because Shubman (Gill) and all the support staff spoke to me and explained why I didn't play. They told it's not about what you did or what you can do. It's about the combination. Even before the first game, GG sir spoke to me for 5-10 minutes saying, 'you have reached here and you can win games for India as well. And you will get a long rope.' When you are playing away from India, it is sometimes difficult to get in the extra time (in nets). But the support staff helped me a lot with (Sitanshu) Kotak sir allowing me to leave early and train with the side-armers. Tendo (Ryan ten Doeschate) came with me every morning to have an overview of the session. These small things, I think, will make a big difference. What do you think Sai Sudharsan is writing down on the paper? 📸: JioHotstar — Sportstar (@sportstarweb) June 22, 2025 How important is that for you to spend quality time in the nets in terms of volume? Definitely, it is very crucial. It is all about repetition and familiarity. The more familiar I am with my batting and the conditions and movement of the ball, off the wicket, the more I bat, more the understanding and confidence I get. What are the technical adjustments you feel you can make to get better? There are a few things that I can improve on, like tracking the ball well and even timing the ball better. Those things will help me to be in a better position when the ball is swinging or seaming. I need to become more refined in these areas, which will help me face any difficult situation I may face in the future. Last year, you had surgery that kept you out for a few months, and then you bounced back strongly in the IPL, finishing as the highest run-getter. How would you assess yourself and the phase of your career? Sometimes it becomes a blessing in disguise because you get some time to prepare your body. So in those days, I felt blessed because I had that time before the IPL started. I worked well. There are so many small things which we can't focus on because we are playing regularly. I was able to address those things because I had time. I started preparing for the IPL as early as December, which helped me. It creates a structure for the next 10-15 years, and because I have a base or a structure, I can continue to build on that. There were some tough times, but coming out of that and having a good series in IPL and going to play in the Test cricket in England was special. Where do you feel you have improved in the last six months or so? To be honest, over a period of time, I don't feel there is a big difference in terms of my game. However, I think that my belief system and the clarity about what I want to do have become better. I feel that it is helping me express myself more freely.
Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Indian Express
IND vs ENG: ‘Control' over ‘intent' — How change in approach reaped dividends after NZ debacle at home and disappointment in Australia
Accepting keyword 'accumulation' over 'aggression' may have come in the way of a series win for Shubman Gill's India on their recent England sojourn. But if one takes into account the backdrop of a 0-3 home whitewash against New Zealand and the batting shambles witnessed in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, the 2-2 stalemate may pass off as a win. A win on the 'execution' front for India's batting main cast manning the red-ball transition. A morale-booster for head coach Gautam Gambhir and a riposte to Bazball cultists. The result at Lord's will sting, but the Indian team management and the new batting order will take pride in ticking off fresh boxes, recalibrated post the 1-3 debacle in Australia. The visitors weren't always equipped to take 20 wickets on the UK tour, but the radical batting overhaul is a worthy uptick that Gill & Co will hope to build on before their next SENA trip in October 2026. The cornerstone for change was firmly placed on a base distinct from that of the Englishmen, not necessarily keen on emulating their rapid scoring bursts. England recorded 3,378 runs in nine innings in the series, their 4.17 run rate the third-highest ever in a five-match Test series. Trading run rate for sheer volume, India piled on 3,809 – the most runs ever in a five-match series – at a higher average (42.32). Striking the right balance between the several gears of five-day batting, India's 3.62 run rate in the series ranks as their best-ever in a series featuring at least five Tests. A cursory review of the series reflects the flip in the script. India's three 500-plus run-scorers – Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja – exuded effortless 'control' for the majority of the series, admittedly on pitches prepared to wear down seam-bowling packs. The comparison of India's batting in Australia and England reveals telling enhancements. India batted 2,371 deliveries more in England than Down Under in equal innings (10), propelling the 4.1 percent gain in control percentages (80% to 84.1%) as a monumental marker of consistent quality batting in the UK. Channelling the old-school instincts naturally benefited batters of the ilk of Rahul and Jadeja, run-accumulators in whites. The effects also rubbed off on Gill and Rishabh Pant; their sharpened 'timing' produced stronger results when juxtaposed against their returns on previous tours. Firming up control, formally measured as the number of balls middled, ensured that Gill, Pant, Rahul and Jadeja played key roles in the batting revival. The skipper marked the prominent surge, translating time in the middle into better results when pressing on the attack. According to Cricket-21 data, Gill was dismissed three times in only 32 deliveries (44 runs) against seamers while attacking in Australia, with false shots creeping up to 28 percent. Attacking 215 balls off pacers of the 1,150 deliveries he faced in England, Gill reduced his false shots to only 10.2 percent. The staggering gain in control meant only two dismissals to pace while recording 338 runs from deliveries he chose to attack. Pant left a similar imprint in England. Of the 89 attacking shots played, Pant made contact with the sweet spot of his bat on 76 occasions. Collectively, the Indian batting average on attacking shots against pace doubled from 30.3 to 60.5 between the two series, scoring 633 more runs with six fewer wickets lost in England. The new batting template eased the burden on Rahul and Jadeja, with both batters securing 500-plus run tallies for the first time in their long careers. The 2-2 scoreline may be a result of lack of assertiveness on the bowling front. But the approach of putting a price on their wicket on English soil may bind this Indian line-up together before spicier challenges ahead.
News18
8 hours ago
- News18
'England Would Have Been A Good Learning Curve': Gill Praised By Former NZ Star
Last Updated: Ex-New Zealand all-rounder Jesse Ryder praised India's Test skipper Shubman Gill for his 754 runs in England, earning Player of the Series. Former New Zealand all-rounder Jesse Ryder believes India's newly-appointed Test skipper Shubman Gill has gained significant experience from the tour of England. Gill had an exceptional July, scoring 754 runs in the five-match series against England. His impressive performance included a double century and two centuries across 10 innings, averaging a remarkable 75.40. This earned him the Player of the Series award. His run tally was the second-highest ever in a World Test Championship tournament. Under his leadership, India overcame deficits twice to draw the series 2-2. In an exclusive interview with IANS, Ryder praised India's vast pool of talent and shared his thoughts on Gill's first series as captain. 'There's a lot of talent coming through, especially over here in India. There are so many people here. Shubman Gill is a young fellow. England would have been a good learning curve for him," Ryder was quoted as saying to IANS. After being down 1-2 post the Lord's Test, India showcased remarkable resilience, levelling the Anderson-Tendulkar series 2-2. Mohammed Siraj played a crucial role with his exceptional bowling, finishing as the highest wicket-taker with 23 wickets in five Tests. His figures of 4-86 and 5-125 in the fifth and final Test at The Oval were crucial, especially in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the final game due to workload management. When asked about India's next rising star, Ryder identified Yashasvi Jaiswal. Jaiswal started the series with a dominating century at Headingley and concluded with a gritty 118 in the second innings of the deciding match at The Oval, totaling 411 runs across five games. 'India has got a lot of talent coming through, they've got great players like Jaiswal coming through," he added. Gill also won the ICC Men's Player of the Month for July 2025 following his heroics against England in the thrilling Test series for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. (With inputs from IANS) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
