5 most controversial overseas incidents in Indian cricket

#3 Gavaskar's walkout

Gavaskar argues with Lillee, Melbourne 1981

The Melbourne Test match in 1981 might have been one of India's finest overseas wins, but it could have ended in embarrassment had captain Sunil Gavaskar got his way during India's second innings when he wanted to walk off along with his batting partner.

The Indian batting great had been in poor form throughout the series and in the 2nd innings of the third and final Test, he was striking the ball well for the first time in the tour. India were comfortably placed at 165 for no loss when Dennis Lillee brought one back into Gavaskar and while the Indian batsman was still showing his bat to the umpire, the finger went up. Gavaskar was furious and made his frustration known to the umpire by banging his bat on to his pads.

Lillee, on the other hand, let fly a few verbals and when Gavaskar eventually started walking back to the pavilion, the Australian bowler said something that completely pushed the Indian over the edge. Gavaskar had almost reached the boundary but he returned and called his partner Chetan Chauhan to walk off with him.

Chauhan had no choice but to follow his captain's orders and had they crossed the boundary line then the Test match may have been awarded to Australia by default. However, team manager Shahid Durrani rose to the occasion and helped his captain back to the pavilion, while asking Chauhan to get on with the game.

It was an extremely ugly chapter in Indian cricket and something which Gavaskar regrets to this day.