Just because I’m Indian: Gavaskar on not being invited to present Border-Gavaskar trophy

Border presented the trophy to the home team but Gavaskar, despite being at the venue at the same time, was inexplicably ignored

Sydney: The legendary Sunil Gavaskar on Sunday expressed his displeasure after not being invited to present the trophy, named after him and Allan Border, to Australia following their win over India in the high-voltage five-match rubber.

Australia reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar trophy after 10 years with a six-wicket win over India in the fifth and final Test. Border presented the trophy to the home team but Gavaskar, despite being at the venue at the same time, was inexplicably ignored.

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“I certainly would have loved to have been there for the presentation. After all, it is the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and it is about Australia and India,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying by Code Sports.

“I mean, I am here on the ground. To me, it should not matter that Australia won when it comes to the presentation. They played better cricket so they won. That’s fine.

“Just because I am an Indian. I would have been happy to present the trophy with my good friend Allan Border,” he added. Had the Indian team won the trophy, Gavaskar would have been invited to present it to the victorious side.

Cricket Australia (CA) later confirmed that Gavaskar was aware he would have presented the award to Indian captain Jasprit Bumrah if the tourists had won the Sydney Test and retained the trophy. “We acknowledge it would have been preferable if both Allan Border and Sunil Gavaskar had been asked to go on stage,” a CA spokesperson said in a statement.

Both India and Australia have been competing for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since 1996-1997 and the rivalry has grown to become one of the biggest in Test cricket. The five-match series that Australia won drew record crowds at multiple venues and broke an 87-year-old attendance record at the Melbourne Cricket Ground last week.