‘Best team in history of Indian cricket’

Jai (ML Jaisimha) would have been absolutely over the moon, to how this Indian team has played, says Gavaskar

Hyderabad: Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar heaped praise on the Virat Kohli-led Indian squad saying it is the best team in the history of Indian cricket. “This team faced unprecedented situations. Jai (ML Jaisimha) would have been happy the way the Indian teams played. The way they took it from opposition, Jai himself would have done that,” said the former Indian captain.
Speaking at the inaugural lecture of ML Jaisimha Sports Foundation on Monday, Gavaskar said Jai would have been delighted with the Indian team’s progress. “He would have been absolutely over the moon, to how this Indian team has played.”

After touching his emotional connection with his hero, the legendary opener and TV commentator wanted some revisions in rules of the game, particularly on the distance of boundaries. “Today with kinds of bats available for the players and with the kind of power they have today (physical conditioning) and even mishit goes for a six. If only boundaries are pushed little further. Today the power-hitting of the boys, slightly built, are hitting into the crowds. Therefore make it level for the bowlers and make the boundaries little further,” he said.

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He pointed out that the bouncer rule needs to be looked at, particularly in limited overs cricket. “Bouncer is a good weapon to ensure that the batsmen are not always on front foot. The bouncer has been limited to two, even in Test cricket, and that is the reason you find batsmen are on front foot…

“Let the bouncer be called wide unless a batsman cannot reach, let that kind of allowance be made. If you are going to be strict, no fast bowler would bowl a bounce because it will be called a wide, costing his team one run and extra delivery. That little allowance if the batsman is able to reach but of course it is above a little distance, call it a wide. Today if the ball has gone little above the helmet of the batsman, it is called a bouncer. It is tough on the bowler.”

Gavaskar touched the topic of leg byes also. “Jai and I discussed when I retired on the leg byes. I said why should there be leg byes, if the run comes, it should come off the bat, or wide or overthrow or byes. Why should a bowler or team be penalized when the batsman is not good enough to read what is happening. I would say take the leg bye out completely. Only runs from the bat or bye, wide or overthrow should be there. Even when it comes to a direct hit run out, the ball ricochets, it should be a dead ball. That is because of excellent fielding.”

Penalising the players or team will not be a solution in modern day cricket, according to Gavaskar. “Today despite the batsmen sitting in the dug-out, not in the change room, every time a batsman is out an allowance of two minutes is given. I believe the dug-out is so close and I think at the best give one minute allowance instead of two minute allowance.”

He feels that there are a lot of time-wasting tactics and the team should be punished by way of penalty runs. “Mid-field conference of captain, senior bowlers for field placings, sight of 12th man coming and bringing water to batting or bowler. Cricket needs to keep up as some other sports have 90-minute result. Make sure time is not wasted.”

The legendary opener said when he was not in favour of DRS as he was an old-fashioned cricketer. “When the DRS first came in I was the chairman of the ICC committee. An umpire being challenged and somehow that idea doesn’t jell with me. Players asking for a replay is good for television. If the field umpire has done something wrong, then let them have look at this decision.”

Soft signal, according to Gavaskar, was to know what on-field umpire was asking the third umpire. “For the IPL, soft signals would not be there. Whatever happens in ICC level, it is first experimented at the domestic level before it becomes an ICC playing condition. This is what ICC has asked BCCI to experiment without soft signal (in IPL). Let us see how it goes. If there is a positive response, there could be then the ICC may take a call in the annual meeting.”

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