'What's Wrong With Test Cricket When Tendulkar Owns The Record?': Sunil Gavaskar Blasts Critics for Root-Tendulkar Comments

Much has been spoked about England batter Joe Root, who has been enjoying a sensational run of form, and had inevitably led to people drawing up comparisons of him with Sachin Tendulkar.

Some may have gone a mile too far, particularly the likes of Michael Vaughan, who may have possibly alluded to stating that it would be good for Test cricket if Root were to topple Tendulkar.

And now, former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar had enough of the slander, and retorted with choice words of his own.

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.”

Seemingly in retaliation, Gavaskar brought to light the ‘business of India bashing’ and and questioned the intentions behind the statements being made by people such as the likes of Vaughan.

“The business of India bashing has to be countered with aggression because that’s the only language they understand,” stated Gavaskar in his piece for Sportstar.

“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. 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.”

Root is currently 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).

It may be true that Root could possibly overtake the Indian, but there still remains a long way to attain the same milestone.