Former Indian cricketer Anshuman Gaekwad has reacted to Virat Kohli’s paternity leave that made him the target of many while recalling an incident when his former opening partner Sunil Gavaskar left the field fearing that he will be hit by the bouncers by West Indian bowlers in the 1976 Test match in Jamaica.
However, Kohli was already granted paternity leave after the Adelaide Test before the Australia tour to be wife Anushka Sharma for the birth of their first child in January 2021.
Well, the Indian captain’s decision to fly back home after a horrifying defeat in Adelaide Test received mixed reactions from cricket experts and fans for choosing personal life over national duty.
Reacting to the same, Gaekwad, who neither defended Kohli’s decision nor criticized, but said no one can “hurt anyone’s sentiments and emotions” while revealing Gavaskar himself wanted to fly home and be with his son as he was scared of being badly hurt by the bouncers by the West Indies bowlers.
In the 1976 Test match between West Indies and India, the hosts bowled a barrage of bouncers since there were absolutely no restrictions on the number of short balls at that time and Gavaskar did not want to face too many of them and was angry when the umpires refused to intervene.
Gaekwad told Sportskeeda: “1976 in West Indies. That Jamaica Test match which we talk about – the bloodbath. Sunil [Gavaskar] complained to the umpires about the bouncers and beamers that were being bowled at us. The umpire just laughed it off.”
He further added, “Sunil lost his cool. For the first time, I had ever seen him lose his cool at the ground and that too while batting. He threw his gloves and bat and started walking around. I told him, ‘Sunny, relax. What happened?’ he said, ‘I don’t want to get killed here. I want to go home and see my son, who’s just born'. That’s the difference between then and now.”
Gaikwad signed off by saying, “It all depends on the individual. You cannot hurt anyone’s sentiments and emotions. If one feels I have to be there then no question. Be it a Test, or ODI or the World Cup.”
