India have shown Root how to stun The Gabba
GAVASKAR TALKS UP TOURISTS
TEST legend Sunil Gavaskar has told England they can follow India’s lead and turn over a fragile Australia at the Gabba.
England are taking plenty of inspiration from India’s win there in January as they battle the rain at their training camp in Queensland.
Joe Root is bidding to claim the Ashes for the first time as captain at the third attempt, and with Ben Stokes alongside him for the trip, Gavaskar is in no doubt that England have the players to end 35 years of hurt at the venue.
After all, if an injuryravaged India team can do it, then why not England when the First Test starts on December 8?
“It was an amazing time to see the Indians win in Australia when we didn’t have our first-choice 11,” said cricketer turned commentator Gavaskar, right.
“A lot were net bowlers and players who, because of the Covid situation, were there along with the team, and they got an opportunity.
“England would have deduced quite a few things, such as that the Australian batting is a bit uncertain at the moment.
“And that is England’s great chance, because if they don’t get off to a good start at home, then you can take advantage and England have as good a chance of doing to Australia what India did.
“What was once a fortress, they will now be thinking, ‘We lost to a second-string Indian team. So what will a full-strength England do?’ And now with Ben Stokes added as well England have a good chance.” Gavaskar was impressed with the way India took a 2-1 lead over England in the summer before the postponement of the fifth Test due to Covid.
And he believes the success of that tour may prompt Virat Kohli to give up the Test captaincy at the turn of the year if they triumph in South Africa as well.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if India go to South Africa and do well that Virat Kohli says, ‘Thank you, I’ve had enough of Test captaincy,’” added Gavaskar. “He may say, ‘Let me go out on a high’.”
Kohli may well be finding it too tricky to keep all the fans happy, but Gavaskar is hoping to keep his own fans far happier by launching his own non-fungible tokens as part of the ‘Always First’ collection celebrating his career highlights in a new digital format.
He believes it is a new and inventive way to connect with fans, just like the ECB hope the Hundred will be – and he hopes Indian players will join before long.
“I think we will see some Indian players made available in the Hundred soon,” he added.
●Sunil Gavaskar NFTs are on sale now. Fans can register their interest in the Always First Collection at alwaysfirst.io/