Sunil Gavaskar was visibly upset with England's tactics on Day 3 of the third Test against India at Lord's, calling their approach "not cricket at all". The former Indian captain and batting legend criticized England for employing a heavy leg-side field, reminiscent of the infamous 'bodyline' strategy, while India was batting.
Gavaskar's criticism stemmed from England's deployment of seven fielders on the leg side during the first session of the day, when KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant were at the crease. While the English bowlers weren't consistently bowling bouncers, Gavaskar likened the tactic to 'bodyline' bowling, pointing to its restrictive nature and apparent intent to stifle scoring opportunities. He argued that such tactics went against the spirit of the game.
Specifically, Gavaskar took issue with England's strategy against Rishabh Pant, who was battling an injured finger. England captain Ben Stokes directed his bowlers to target Pant with short-pitched deliveries, with six fielders positioned on the leg-side boundary. Gavaskar noted that 56% of the balls bowled on the morning of Day 3 were short. He felt it was unsportsmanlike to attack an injured player in this manner. Pant, despite the barrage, managed to score 74 runs, frequently using the pull shot to keep the ball away from the fielders.
Gavaskar didn't hold back in his criticism, making an on-air appeal to Sourav Ganguly, the chairman of the ICC Men's Cricket Committee, to address the issue. Gavaskar urged Ganguly to ensure that no more than six fielders are allowed on the leg side in the future. He said, "That is not cricket at all. If Sourav Ganguly, the ICC cricket committee's head, is listening to this, please ensure next time it's six fielders on the leg side".
Gavaskar drew a parallel to the era when the West Indies dominated with their fearsome pace attack. He recalled that when the West Indies bowlers used short-pitched bowling extensively, a rule was introduced to limit the number of bouncers per over to two. Gavaskar questioned why similar measures weren't being discussed now that England was employing similar tactics. He highlighted the perceived hypocrisy, suggesting that the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) intervened when the West Indies bowled short, but there seemed to be no such discussion regarding England's current strategy.
The context of Gavaskar's remarks came during a crucial stage of the Test match. India resumed Day 3 at 145 for 3, trailing England's first innings total of 387. KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant put on a strong partnership, adding 141 runs for the fourth wicket. Rahul went on to score a century, while Pant contributed a valuable 74. However, Pant's run-out just before lunch, followed by Rahul's dismissal soon after reaching his century, put India in a precarious position.
The match remained tightly contested, with India eventually equalling England's first innings score of 387. Zak Crawley's time-wasting tactics at the end of the day further fueled tensions between the two sides.
