‘Man With 9,000 Runs Shouldn’t Bat At No. 5’: Sunil Gavaskar Unhappy With India’s Tactics vs Bangladesh

IND vs BAN: On Monday, the Indian cricket team produced a remarkable batting performance on Day 4 of the second Test against Bangladesh at Green Park Stadium, Kanpur. With two full days of play washed out due to rain, India faced a time crunch to force a result. However, the Rohit Sharma-led side responded emphatically, first dismissing Bangladesh for 233 and then launching a powerful counterattack with the bat.

India declared their innings at 285 for 9 in just 34.4 overs, giving themselves a lead of 52 runs. This aggressive approach helped the team set records for the fastest 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 runs in the history of Test cricket. The performance put India in a strong position, needing just 95 runs to win the match and secure a 2-0 series victory.

While the day belonged to India’s bold batting and strategic declaration, former captain and now commentator Sunil Gavaskar expressed disappointment over the team’s decision to send Rishabh Pant ahead of Virat Kohli in the batting order.

After India lost Yashasvi Jaiswal as the second wicket, fans anticipated Kohli to take his usual No. 4 position in the line-up. However, to everyone’s surprise, India promoted Pant, leaving Kohli to bat at No. 5. Gavaskar, voicing his concern on JioCinema, questioned this move, particularly given Kohli’s stature as one of India’s finest Test batters.

Sunil Gavaskar Not Happy With India’s Batting Order

“You are talking about a man who has nearly 9,000 runs in Test cricket batting at No. 4,” said Gavaskar. His comment reflected a broader sentiment that Kohli, given his vast experience and success at No. 4, should not have been moved down the order in a critical match.

Pant, sent in with the intention of continuing India’s aggressive push, failed to make a substantial impact. He scored just 9 runs off 11 balls before being dismissed. Kohli, on the other hand, made his presence felt when he finally came to the crease, scoring a brisk 47 off 35 balls, including four boundaries and one six.

Virat Kohli Creates Another Milestone

While Gavaskar’s critique sparked debate, Kohli continued to etch his name into the history books. On Monday, he became the fastest player to score 27,000 international runs, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s record. Kohli reached the milestone in his 594th innings, beating Tendulkar’s mark of 623 innings. Only Kumar Sangakkara (648 innings) and Ricky Ponting (650 innings) have also crossed the 27,000-run mark in international cricket.

India On The Verge Of Victory

India’s declaration has put them in the driver’s seat. They need just 95 runs to win the second Test and seal the series. Led by excellent contributions from Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin, India’s bowling attack did well to restrict Bangladesh to 146 in their second innings. As India prepares for the final innings of the match, all eyes will be on how quickly they can chase down the target. With a strong batting line-up and momentum on their side, it seems only a matter of time before India clinches another dominant Test series win.

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