Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has hit back at Michael Vaughan's comments on Joe Root potentially surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's Test run-tally, questioning the "narrative" against Indian cricket by overseas media.
Also read: Can Joe Root catch Sachin Tendulkar?
In a typically forthright column on Sportstar, Gavaskar questioned why there's a perception overseas that "BCCI does not like Test cricket". He began by writing about home support for sportspersons, stating that "the support is invariably held against Indian crowds by overseas media and commentators", even though crowds everywhere go silent when the home team is not faring well.
Then, without naming Vaughan, Gavaskar hit out at the former England captain's recent comments that it would be for the good of Test cricket if Joe Root overtook Sachin Tendulkar's runs and centuries tallies.
At the time of writing, Root is sixth on the all-time runs list (12,402), and joint-sixth in the centuries column (34), leading the list among active players in pursuit of Tendulkar's record numbers (15,426 & 51).
Speaking on the Club Prairie Fire podcast last week, Vaughan had said "there's no way" BCCI would want an England player lead the list over an Indian.
"If Joe goes past Sachin, it will be the best thing that ever happens to cricket, because there's no way BCCI would want an England player at the top of the list," Vaughan said. "They'll want an Indian at the top so that will secure Test match cricket because it'll take forever for someone to get past him."
Gavaskar questioned why Tendulkar leading the run-charts was "not good" for cricket.
"This business of India bashing has to be countered with aggression because that’s the only language they understand," Gavaskar wrote. "Recently, I heard someone saying it would be good for Test cricket if Joe Root overtook Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most runs and centuries in Test match cricket.
1️⃣ Sachin Tendulkar: 15,921
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 6, 2024
2️⃣ Ricky Ponting: 13,378
3️⃣ Jacques Kallis: 13,289
4️⃣ Rahul Dravid: 13,288
5️⃣ Alastair Cook: 12,472
6️⃣ Kumar Sangakkara: 12,400
7️⃣ Joe Root: 12,377
Can Root break Sachin's all-time Test run-scoring record? 🔝#ENGvSL pic.twitter.com/aXEqAN3H7g
"Please tell us what’s wrong with Test cricket presently when Tendulkar is owning the record and how will Test cricket be better if (and that’s a huge if) an Englishman goes on to hold it. In what way will it be better? Kindly enlighten us."
Gavaskar then shifted the argument towards BCCI's perceived lack of care towards Test cricket, calling it "ridiculous", and claiming that the venue of the World Test Championship final is being debated over only because of England's improved chances of qualifying for it.
"For some strange reason, there’s a perception overseas that BCCI does not like Test cricket," Gavaskar wrote.
"That’s a ridiculous notion, as India play more than half a dozen Test matches every season, be it at home or away. Just because the IPL is massively successful doesn’t mean BCCI is not interested in promoting Test cricket, but that’s the narrative that’s being peddled by the overseas media.
"The ICC just announced that the WTC final will be played at Lord’s next June. Well, we have heard the same declaration twice earlier, but as soon as it’s seen that England is not going to qualify for the final, the venue gets changed to Southampton or The Oval in London. Now that England is winning more Test matches in this period and there’s a good chance that they may get to the final, we are being told the final will be at Lord’s.
"Let’s wait and see. As the old Indian saying goes, Dilli (Lord’s) abhi bhi door hai (a play on the Urdu phrase by Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya Chisti, signifying that qualification for Lord's is still far away)."
If you're wondering, here's how England can still qualify for the World Test Championship final next year, despite losing the Oval Test to Sri Lanka.
