Relieved of dubious distinction, Sunil Gavaskar comforts Kohli & Co
India were dismissed for 36, their lowest total in Test history
Adelaide: Sunil Gavaskar knows what it feels like to be saddled with a dubious distinction and the batting great offered comforting words to India's team after they registered a record low total in the day-night test against Australia on Saturday.
Virat Kohli and his men folded for 36 in the second innings at the Adelaide Oval en route to a comprehensive eight-wicket defeat in the first match of the four-test series.
India's previous lowest innings total was 42, registered during a 1974 test match against England at Lord's.
Gavaskar, who was part of that 1974 team, did not find any fault with Kohli and his men and simply attributed the collapse to a fiery rival attack, just like 46 years ago.
"Taking nothing away from the Australian bowling, they were absolutely superb today, there was nothing wrong with the Indian effort today," Gavaskar, the first batsman to score 10,000 runs in test cricket, told Channel 7.
"In the same way as in 1974, overcast conditions at Lord's with the ball swinging around, none of us got out playing bad shots, we were all trapped lbw or caught behind," recalled the former opener.
"When you face bowling of that quality, with that line and length, it's very difficult to score runs and that's what happened to the Indians today." Captained by Mike Denness, England won the 1974 test by an innings and 285 runs after Geoff Arnold and Chris Old ran through India's batting lineup sharing nine wickets between them.
"I have to say, but for that classy five I got, they would never have reached 42," Gavaskar quipped.