India head coach Gautam Gambhir has been in the headlines for the past few days following India’s loss against New Zealand in the recently-concluded Test series. Ever since Gambhir became the head coach of the Indian senior cricket team, Rohit Sharma’s men lost to Sri Lanka in an ODI series after 27 years before New Zealand registered their first-ever Test series victory last week.
However, in an old video which went viral on social media, Geoffrey Boycott heavily criticised Gambhir when India toured England in 2014. With the first match ended in a draw, India won the second game before England bounced back with back-to-back victories.
In the fifth Test at The Oval in London, Gambhir was opening the batting with Murali Vijay on the other side. Gambhir, who had failed in the fourth Test, was welcomed with harsh criticism from commentator Boycott.
A former England international and one of most iconic voices in cricket commentary, Boycott minced no words for Gambhir describing the left-hander as ‘rubbish’. “Gautam Gambhir is now marking his crease, and he is one of those rubbish players in this Indian side,” Boycott was heard saying.
Surprisingly, Gambhir’s stay at the crease for just one ball as he, trying to leave a James Anderson delivery, edged to Jos Buttler behind the wickets. Soon after the dismissal Boycott reiterated, “Well, he is rubbish, isn’t he? I told you, he can’t bat in England. I have seen him play in nearly all his 50 Test matches. Flat decks in India, where the ball doesn’t bounce or do much. That’s just crazy batting.”
What was Gambhir’s Test average in England?
Notably, Gambhir’s Test average in England was 12.70. It was also Gambhir’s final Test in England. As far as his Test average is concerned, he averages 43.61 outside India while in India the former Indian cricketer has 40.73.
