Hypocrisy in the judgement of Indian and overseas pitches? Gavaskar points out

The Sydney Test, the final fixture of the Border Gavaskar Trophy, is shaping up to be an enthralling conclusion to the five-match series. On the opening day, the Indian batters faced the relentless pace of Australian bowlers Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland, who took full advantage of the lively conditions at the SCG. The Indian batting lineup was dismissed for a total of 185 on Day 1. The opening day witnessed the fall of 11 wickets, with Jasprit Bumrah removing Usman Khawaja on the last delivery. The wicket count climbed further on Day 2, as India bowled out Australia for just 181, securing a narrow 4-run lead.

"We are not moaners," says Gavaskar as he takes a dig at Australian and English cricketers

Day 2 of the fifth and final Border Gavaskar Trophy Test witnessed a dramatic turn of events as 15 wickets fell. The action-packed day hinted at the possibility of the series concluding on Day 3 of the Sydney Test itself. Amidst the flurry of events, former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar pointed out a rather peculiar observation. The legendary batter took a dig at the overseas cricket fraternity, often seen raising a hue and cry over pitches in the subcontinent. Gavaskar remarked that if 15 wickets had fallen in a day in India, cricket pundits would have erupted with scathing criticism of the Indian pitch. However, there seems to be little discussion about the SCG pitch, despite the fact that nearly all of Australia and half the Indian team returned to the dugout in a single day of the Test.

"Former Australian and English cricketers are all the time talking about Indian pitches and conditions. We are not moaners. We are not whingers. You'll never find us complaining. But 15 wickets in a day in India, man, there would be hell," Gavaskar said.

Even though Bumrah left the field midway through the day, the Indian bowlers managed to take quick wickets against the Kangaroos. Bumrah scalped 2 wickets before he went off the ground. The likes of Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, and Nitish Kumar Reddy kept the game alive, picking up 3, 3, and 2 wickets respectively to restrict Australia to 181. Furthermore, India's second innings saw regular wickets falling, though Rishabh Pant's brisk half-century ensured that India extended their lead to over 130 runs.

By the close of play on Day 2, India was 141/6, with a lead of 145 runs. Gavaskar also pointed out a remark from former Australian pacer Glenn McGrath, who noted that he had never seen so much grass on a Sydney pitch. Additionally, Gavaskar praised Indian cricketers for never complaining about challenging pitch conditions.

"We had Glenn McGrath saying he'd never seen so much grass. Did you hear any former India cricketer moan about the pitch?" said Gavaskar. "When we go out and play cricket, we will toughen it out. And if we are beaten, we are beaten. Overseas it's very difficult to beat home teams," he added.