Sunil Gavaskar has said that Team India is not dependent on big names to win Test series and praised the youngsters as India defeated England in Ranchi to clinch the five-match with a match to go and in absence of a few big players. Gavaskar also compared the Test series win over England in 2024 to the Test series win in Australia in 2020-21.
“That’s why I always say, you don’t need big names…If any big name thinks that India won’t win without him these two series have shown that whether you are there or not (it doesn’t matter). Cricket is a team sport. It doesn’t depend on one individual,” Gavaskar said on Sports Tak.
During Australia tour, India started the series with a big defeat and captain Virat Kohli had to pull out after the first match due to birth of his first child. Team India also faced multiple injuries but players like Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar impressed with their temperament as visitors won the series 2-1.
Against England, Kohli pulled out of the start of the series and it was later revealed that he gave the Test series a miss due to the birth of his second child. Besides Kohli, Mohammed Shami has missed the whole series due to an ankle issue while KL Rahul has not played since the first Test. In the absence of star players, Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel has emerged as India’s new match-winners.
After losing in the first Test at Hyderabad, India won at Visakhapatnam, Rajkot and Ranchi to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series.
Gavaskar said that captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid also deserve praise for promoting the young players and giving them confidence.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“Credit must go to the way captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid have managed the team. They gave chances to the young players, moulded them, and encouraged them to play their natural game. This shows that whether we have big names or not, if we have players with big hearts then we can win,” Gavaskar added.
The fifth and final India-England Test will be played at Dharamsala from 7 March.