“No former Indian player has complained” - Sunil Gavaskar takes a dig at SCG pitch for BGT 2024-25 5th Test

Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar took a dig at the former players from other countries with reference to the bowler-friendly Sydney pitch for the final Border-Gavaskar Test that started today, January 3. After winning the toss and batting first, India struggled due to the excessive movement and uneven bounce throughout their innings.

The unusually high live grass meant the Indian batters could not combat with the Aussie pacers and were bowled out for a sub-par 185 in the 73rd over.

Talking about the Sydney pitch on Star Sports, Gavaskar said as quoted by India Today:

"Justin Langer, who's played in Australia, has said he's never seen so much grass on a pitch. But what you would have noticed is that no former Indian player has complained or whined about it. If a pitch in India is bereft of grass and looks like it's going to turn, so many former players from different parts of the world criticize our pitches. But former Indian players rarely complain because we understand the importance of adapting to overseas conditions."

Gavaskar's comments were a response to several former players from SENA countries who often complain about turning wickets in India.

Sydney has historically been a batting-friendly track but Day 1 of the ongoing Test was anything but that with no Indian batter reaching even a half-century.

"Cows would have grazed confidently on the pitch in Sydney" - Sunil Gavaskar

Australia v India - Men's 5th Test Match: Day 1 - Source: Getty

Sunil Gavaskar was surprised by the amount of grass on the Sydney track for the final India-Australia Test, contrary to the nature of the pitch historically at the venue.

There is much to play for in the ongoing contest with India trailing 1-2 in the best-of-five series and having to win to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

"I haven’t seen so much grass on a Sydney pitch in the past. Probably, the grass cover is on the higher side compared to other pitches in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The batting is tough, and the visiting batters are not able to connect the bat with the ball. Cows would have grazed confidently on the pitch in Sydney," said Gavaskar.

Gavaskar, however, was impressed by Rishabh Pant's fighting 97-ball 40, curbing his instincts.

"Rishabh Pant is putting his body on the line for India, and that's exactly what you need to do on a pitch like this, where tough questions will be asked. It’s easy to underestimate how challenging it is. Look at the previous Test—this one is nastier," he said.

The ever-reliable Scott Boland led the way with figures of 4/31, while Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins bagged a combined five wickets between them.