'If 15 wickets fell in a day in India...': Gavaskar fires savage 'we are not moaners' verbal volley at AUS, ENG greats

The Sydney Test between Australia and India is set for a thrilling finish, with the fifth match sitting on a knife's edge. A total of 15 wickets fell on Day 2 of the fifth Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test, and there is a high chance that the game and series finish on the third day. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has now taken a potshot at the Australian and English cricketers, saying if 15 wickets had fallen in a day in India, then all hell would have broken loose, and there would have been a lot of talk about the Indian tracks. Sunil Gavaskar took a brutal dig at Australia and England cricketers after 15 wickets fell on Day 2 of the Sydney Test. (Getty Images via AFP)

Day 2 of the Sydney Test began with Australia trailing by 176 runs. Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj and Nitish Kumar Reddy fully used the favourable conditions as the visitors bundled out Australia for 181, gaining a lead of four runs.

India kept losing wickets at regular intervals. However, Rishabh Pant's quickfire half-century helped India extend their lead to more than 130 in the second innings. At stumps on Day 3, the visitors' score read 141/6, with the lead being 145.

While commenting on ABC Sport, Gavaskar said, "Former Australian and English cricketers are all the time talking about Indian pitches and conditions. We are not moaners. We are not whingers."

"You'll never find us complaining. But 15 wickets in a day in India, man, there would be hell," he added.

'So much grass'

Sunil Gavaskar then pointed out that former Australia pacer Glenn McGrath had said that he had never seen so much grass on a Sydney pitch. He also said that Indian cricketers never moan, irrespective of the pitch conditions.

"We had Glenn McGrath saying he'd never seen so much grass. Did you hear any former India cricketer moan about the pitch?" said Gavaskar.

"When we go out and play cricket, we will toughen it out. And if we are beaten, we are beaten. Overseas it's very difficult to beat home teams," he added.

Gavaskar also said that the Sydney pitch is not an "ideal" track, as everyone wants to see the Test going into the fourth and fifth days.

"I did say that when we saw the pitch yesterday, the cows could have gone and grazed on it," said Gavaskar.

"This is not the ideal Test match pitch that you want because you want it to go into a fourth and fifth day. Unless there is rain, I don't see us being here on day four," he added.

Click here to read article