Former Indian national cricket team batsman Sunil Gavaskar has stated that the Indian team does not need to depend on “big names” to win any series and that there are enough talented players in the country who can take the team to the top. victory.
Rohit Sharma & Co. are currently involved in a five-match Test series against the England national cricket team at home. They started the series on a poor note and suffered a surprising defeat at the hands of Ben Stokes & Co.
However, the hosts made sure to perform better in the next three matches and made an excellent comeback in the series. India won by 106 runs, 434 runs and 5 wickets in the second, third and fourth Tests at Visakhapatnam, Rajkot and Ranchi to seal the series 3-1, with one match remaining.
The series win against the Three Lions was quite special for the Indian team as they won in the absence of many key players like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Shami. The fifth and final Test match of the series is scheduled to be held at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala from March 7.
Speaking ahead of the last Test of the series, batting great Sunil Gavaskar compared India’s victory in the England series with Australia’s historic Test series victory in 2020-21. He recalled how India missed several first-choice players in the Australia series and the newcomers showed grit, resilience, grit and determination, which was also the case in the ongoing England Tests.
“India missed out on a lot of big names in Australia but still pulled off a fantastic win not only at the Gabba but also in Melbourne. They came back after being bowled out for 36. Winning in Melbourne, they fought hard to save the Sydney Test match. If Rishabh Pant had stayed in the crease for half an hour, India could have won that match too.
“But the grit, resilience, grit and determination that the young Indian players showed during the tour of Australia was visible even this time against England,” he told Sports Tak.
If any big name thinks India won’t win without him… – Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar further delved into the “big names” who missed the England Test series and stated that India does not need stars to win a series as cricket is a team sport and does not depend on any individual.
“That’s why I always say, you don’t need big names… If any big name thinks India won’t win without him, these two series have proven it, whether you are there or not (it doesn’t matter). Cricket is a team sport. It does not depend on a single individual,” said Sunil Gavaskar.
Sunil Gavaskar was also impressed with the way captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid handled the young players in the series against England and motivated them to excel.
“Credit must go to the way captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid have led the team. They gave young players opportunities, molded them and encouraged them to play their natural game. This shows that, whether we have big names or not, if we have players with a big heart, we can win.”
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma would be eager to guide the Indian national cricket team to a victory in the fifth Test to seal the series 4-1 and extend his great record as captain of the national team.