‘Indians Called Sissies If They Complain About Pitches’: Gavaskar

Play between India and South Africa on Day 3 of the third Test was halted due to the pitch being dangerous.

Controversy ensued at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, when a delivery off Jasprit Bumrah jumped up and hit the grill of Dean Elgar’s helmet. There has been awkward bounce throughout the day’s play on Day 3 of the third Test between India and South Africa and umpires Aleem Dar and Ian Gould have been regularly looking at the pitch and talking to the two captains.

Match officials halted play in the third Test and began discussions with captain and coaches of both the teams after home opener Dean Elgar took a nasty blow. The dangerous batting conditions prevailed when India batted as several of their batsmen took blows in their bodies during the day but play was never halted.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar while commentating expressed that if the Indian team was disconsolate with the pitch, they would have been called sissies.

If India were batting, chasing 241 runs in the fourth innings, and if the Indian team were disconsolate (with the awkward bounce of the pitch), they would have been called sissies. They would have been called sissies, because unfortunately India has this reputation that, despite the Kohlis, the Tendulkars, the Dravids, the Sehwags, the Laxmans, they have got a reputation that on a fast and bouncy pitch, they don’t travel well.

Sunil Gavaskar

Chasing 241, South Africa were 17 for one in 8.3 overs when Elgar was hit on his helmet.

The physio rushed to the pitch after Elgar was hit and he was seen placing an ice-pack on his forehand. Umpires Ian Gould and Aleem Dar began discussions and soon match referee Andy Pycroft joined them. The players were taken off the field and captains and coaches of the two teams were called to discuss further course of action in the match referee's room.

Sunil Gavaskar added that he is not calling the South African team sissies, but just expressing how the world reacts to the Indian team’s complaints.

I am not trying to say that the South Africans are sissies, but I am telling you how the world would have reacted. Yes, it’s not an easy pitch to bat on, but this delivery had nothing to do with the pitch.

Sunil Gavaskar

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith concurred with Sunil Gavaskar. He said that Bumrah’s delivery hitting Elgar’s helmet had nothing to do with the pitch. He said that the delivery was a short-pitched delivery.

I don’t think that delivery had anything to do with the surface. I agree with Sunny (Sunil Gavaskar), it’s a short pitched delivery.

Graeme Smith

The replays showed that the ball was bowled on 8.5 meters from the stumps, which is the region for short-pitched deliveries. Therefore, the ball could have hit Elgar’s helmet because it was a good bouncer and not because of the poor pitch.

A few minutes after the players walked off the field, it started drizzling at the Wanderers Stadium and therefore Day 3 was called off with South Africa needing 224 more runs to win.

The Indian team manager told ESPNCricinfo that the call on whether the match will be called off or not will be taken before the start of day’s play on Saturday (Day 4).

Tomorrow before the start of play we will be told. The match officials and the umpires will discuss until tomorrow.

The Indian Team Manager

(With inputs from PTI)

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