“The international players are so busy playing overseas” - Sunil Gavaskar offers a piece of advice to Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee

Former Indian opening batter and commentator Sunil Gavaskar has stated that the current Indian batters do not have an idea of playing on domestic pitches and which resulted in India suffering a 30-run defeat to South Africa in the first Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Writing his column for Sportstar, Gavaskar also asserted that the Indian selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, should prioritise players who have shown good enough skills on pitches that have uneven bounce in the domestic circuit. 

“The defeat to South Africa will hopefully open the eyes of those who matter to look at the heavy scorers in domestic cricket, who are used to playing on pitches where the ball spins and keeps low. The international players are so busy playing overseas that they do not have practice playing on domestic pitches, and so are found wanting,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.

"Test batting demands patience and, more importantly, the willingness to leave your ego in the changing room. It does not matter if you get beaten and rapped on the leg guards. You do not have to try and tonk the ball out of the ground to show who is the boss. The only boss is the one who stays humble and accepts that at this level, the bowler will beat you, and so waits a bit till the scoreable ball comes along,” he went on to write.

Additionally, Gavaskar wrote that the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir needs to understand the difference between a Test all-rounder and a limited-overs all-rounder. Notably, Washington Sundar was spotted at No.3 in the batting order in the Eden Gardens Test, which didn’t go down well with many.

"India also needs to understand the difference between a Test all-rounder and a limited-overs all-rounder. A genuine Test all-rounder is someone who could make the eleven solely as a batter or as a bowler. A player who only offers a few overs or a few runs is not what Test cricket demands. A proper batter who can chip in with the ball is fine, just as a regular bowler who can hold up an end with the bat is valuable. But selecting a player who would not make the side purely as a batter or as a bowler might work in the short term, yet it does not add real value," Gavaskar wrote.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky365 and download the Sky365 App to start betting today!