- 1 year ago
Speaking to India Today, legendary Sunil Gavaskar heaped praise on Shubman Gill's record-breaking batting effort in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The batting great also lauded Gill's captaincy, saying it was instrumental in helping India win the Oval thriller on Monday morning.
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00:00Sunil Gavaskar, who was a legend of the game.
00:03He was at the Oval.
00:04Mr. Gavaskar, this is an iconic moment.
00:07You are in a way connected between 1971 Oval when India defeated England for the first time.
00:13Now defeating them again all these years later to level a series 2-2.
00:17Special moment in a way for Indian cricket and this young Indian side.
00:22Very, very special and very, very satisfying as well with the way the team has fought back
00:27from the situation that they found themselves at the end of the Lord's Test.
00:31When you lose by just 22 runs, you know, it can be pretty demoralizing.
00:36But the way the Indian team recovered in the next game at Manchester played well
00:39and then towards the end, also when it came, when it looked like they could be in trouble,
00:45the way the batters batted and saved the game and then to come and win the game over here
00:48just tells you, you know, the dedication and determination of this team.
00:53You know, let's talk Mr. Gavaskar for a moment about standout performances.
00:56Muhammad Siraj today maybe reminded some of us old-timers of B.S. Chandrasekhar
01:01from that famous day in 1971 when he bowled out England.
01:05Today, Siraj with Prasid Krishna was just as magnificent.
01:10Yes, I think both of them utilized the conditions absolutely brilliantly.
01:14Yesterday towards the latter part of the day, it started to get a little bit cooler,
01:20it started to get a little bit overcast and therefore there was a lot more swing.
01:23Earlier on, there wasn't that much swing, the sun was out, so the bowlers, you know,
01:28if you bowl about a five or six over spell, got a little bit tired as well.
01:32There was no turn in the surface, so the spinners were barely used.
01:37And so today, this morning again, it was very, very good in terms of fast bowling
01:41because it was overcast.
01:42So the decision was whether to take the second new ball, which was due in about three overs or so.
01:47And what the Shubhan Gill has done, he marshaled his resources absolutely brilliantly.
01:53The field placing this morning was absolutely top class.
01:57You know, looking for the top edges, looking for the proper cut shots,
02:01looking for the slog shots, it was all absolutely fantastic.
02:05And that's where the bowling also stands out.
02:08Because if the bowlers get a good feel, then they can also bowl with a lot more confidence.
02:14And Siraj and Prasid Krishna bowl their hearts out.
02:16Not to forget the contribution of Aakashi with the bat as well.
02:19He probably wasn't amongst the wickets this time around,
02:22but as a night watchman when he came into bat at the end of day three
02:25and the runs that he scored, 66.
02:27All in all, I mean, everybody put their hand up at the right time for the team to win this game.
02:33You know, as you can see, Mr. Gavaskar, I'm smiling broadly
02:36because this was, as you said, rightly a true team effort.
02:39Of course, led by Shubhman Gill, who came close to breaking your record
02:42for the highest runs in a series, 774 runs.
02:47But Shubhman also, Mr. Gavaskar, was just fantastic right through this series.
02:51Oh, he was absolutely brilliant.
02:58The way he batted, very seldom do you get to see such pure form of batsmanship.
03:04You know, in the sense that he hardly played and missed.
03:07He hardly got inside edges.
03:09There was hardly any time where he looked ugly in trying to defend.
03:13Nothing at all.
03:14It was just so pure to watch him.
03:17And I keep talking about those straight drives and the off drives
03:20and the cover drives, you know, the half sort of, you know,
03:24swat that he does to take care of the bouncer.
03:27It was just incredible to watch such pure batting.
03:31I think we saw Sachin Tendulkar bat like that for most of his career.
03:37Pure, pure batting.
03:38Then Kohli had two series where he, again, pure, absolutely pure, pure batsmanship.
03:43I think 2014-15 in Australia.
03:47And then, again, 2018 in England when he came on his second tour to England.
03:51Those were actually pure, you know, forms of batting.
03:54And Shubhman Gill has added to that with what we saw today.
03:58Yeah, he missed out on the record by 20 runs.
04:00But I don't know whether you saw that in anticipation of that,
04:04but I'd taken a little gift for him because, you know, I mean,
04:09what can I give him?
04:10He's got everything.
04:11So I'd taken a little gift for him.
04:13And while presenting him, I said to him that,
04:15look, I wore this white jacket at the GABA win on the last day of the GABA test.
04:22And I said, I will wear this so that we win.
04:25I wore this yesterday, but the match was not finished.
04:28I wore it again today.
04:30And so the boys made, with their bowling and their captaincy,
04:35the boys made this jacket, a real lucky jacket.
04:39You've got your lucky jacket on.
04:41You haven't told us exactly what you gave Shubhman Gill, Mr. Gavaska.
04:45I saw you give a cap with your signature,
04:47one SG Sunil Gavaska to another SG Shubhman Gill.
04:51What's the actual gift that you've given the Indian captain?
04:57Well, there was a shirt as well.
04:58The shirt has got also a little SG on the side and in front of the shirt.
05:05It's a very, very small SG, very subtle kind of SG.
05:09And the cap is something, you know, which I mean, I give to,
05:14it is available, but I give to very few people.
05:17And Shubhman deserved it.
05:20So I've given him the cap.
05:21I didn't want him to wear that because I was so proud to see him wear that India cap
05:24when he was talking to me.
05:25That cap, you know, is so important.
05:28That cap means so much to these players was evident
05:32from the way Rishabhman came out to bat with a fractured, you know, toe.
05:36That is the kind of determination, that was the kind of spirit and the character that this team had.
05:41And that is the reason why they were able to come back from difficult situations in all the matches.
05:45They lost two, but they won two.
05:47And that draw was, you could say, a moral victory for the Indian team.
05:51I'm going to come back to Mr. Gawaskar and that fighting spirit in a moment,
05:55but I'm joined live by someone who represents the true fighting spirit of this new India team.
06:00He's the hero of the day.
06:01And therefore, I'm joined happily by Mohamed Ismail.
06:07Mohamed Ismail is the brother of Mohamed Siraj.
06:09You're joining me there from Hyderabad.
06:11So Mohamed Ismail,
06:13I'm very proud of you.
06:14I'm very proud of you.
06:14I'm very proud of you, your family, your brother, your brother, your brother today.
06:18I'm very proud of you.
06:19Wow.
06:20La-jawab, fantastic.
06:23Tell me what you were, how you were feeling when Siraj was bowling in the end and taking all those wickets.
06:29What was going on in your home?
06:32Thank you, thank you.
06:32Thank you very much, sir.
06:33First of all, congratulations on the victory of India.
06:37And second, we are very, very, very proud that it was a great performance.
06:42And to see that India has made it mad for its performance.
06:46So, it's been a double-priced in the house for the whole family.
06:51You know, somebody once told me, my late father who played for India, Ismail told me that
06:57in cricket, you don't need talent, you also need heart.
07:00Jigar chahi.
07:01Exactly.
07:01Do you think,
07:02what is this Jigar?
07:04Where does he get this fighting spirit?
07:06He was bowling the most overs in the series,
07:09played all five tests,
07:10and was still bowling 140 plus.
07:13Where is this Jigar spirit?
07:15Is this Hyderabad's balls spirit?
07:17It's a never die attitude, sir.
07:19I have to do anything.
07:21But I have to do.
07:22I will do.
07:23My attitude was here, sir.
07:24I have to do it before, sir.
07:26Is this the first?
07:27Has he always had this, even when he was playing tennis ball cricket?
07:31Yes, yes.
07:32It's a best attitude to me, I have to do it before.
07:34Like, till 2017, he didn't play the leather ball.
07:37As you know that,
07:38within a year and a half,
07:41one and a half year,
07:42he ran the trophy,
07:45Paul Sikhi,
07:45and he ran the trophy,
07:47and he ran the cut for Iran,
07:48and he ran the responsibility for Hyderabad.
07:49He ran the ITL,
07:51and then national duty.
07:53Within two years of a fan,
07:55he didn't achieve so much of a team.
07:58So,
07:58but something was doing here.
08:01You know,
08:01Ismail,
08:01he was asked today
08:02about what keeps him going,
08:05and he has changed his emoji
08:07to the word Believe,
08:08and I'm told,
08:09even in the house,
08:10he has a poster of Believe
08:11along with Cristiano Ronaldo.
08:13Is Cristiano Ronaldo
08:14the hero of
08:16of
08:17Mohamed Siraj
08:18along with Virat Kohli,
08:19I'm told?
08:20Yes,
08:21he's a huge fan
08:22of Cristiano Ronaldo.
08:23So,
08:24if you keep the belief,
08:26he believes Ronaldo's idol.
08:30Ronaldo's motivation
08:31is for his motivation.
08:32Okay,
08:33so Ronaldo's motivation
08:35is for his motivation.
08:35Of course,
08:36Virat played a big role
08:37in giving him
08:38his opportunities
08:38early on also
08:40in his career,
08:41but
08:41in general…
08:42100%,
08:43100%,
08:43because
08:45Siraj also said
08:46I owe my career
08:47to Virat Bhai.
08:48Whatever I am today
08:49is because of just
08:50Virat Bhai.
08:51He backed me
08:52when I was down,
08:53he backed me
08:53when my performance
08:54was not up to the mark
08:56back in 2018,
08:57you know,
08:58when his IPL
08:58was not that good.
09:01So,
09:01Virat Bhai was the one
09:02who stood with him,
09:03he took with him
09:04and backed him.
09:06So,
09:06at Virat Bhai,
09:07he's a lot of
09:08who are.
09:09Can I ask you this,
09:13Ismail?
09:15Siraj went to Australia
09:16in 2021
09:17for the first time
09:18to play for India.
09:19Your father
09:20passed away
09:21while the tour was on.
09:23Siraj was given a choice,
09:24come back home
09:25or stay in Australia.
09:26He decided to stay on.
09:28Is that what he is all about?
09:30Even he did not
09:32come for his family,
09:33a father's funeral
09:34because he wanted
09:35to play for India.
09:36It was a dream
09:37of his father's
09:38saying that my son
09:39will play for one day.
09:40Siraj,
09:41tell us a little
09:42bit more about that.
09:43Yes,
09:44exactly.
09:45It was my father's
09:46ring to Siraj
09:47and the president
09:48of Siraj.
09:48And that time,
09:50Siraj spoke
09:50with my mother
09:51and my mother
09:52said to my mother
09:52and said to my mother,
09:53Siraj,
09:53you stay there
09:54and play for your country.
09:56So,
09:58he was totally
10:00broken down
10:01but still he managed.
10:03We won that series
10:04for the other
10:04respect trophy.
10:06Yes,
10:07so he's
10:07mentally and physically
10:09very strong.
10:10Mentally and physically
10:11very strong.
10:12Is that,
10:13you know,
10:14he's come the hard way.
10:15This is,
10:16they know that
10:17a man who plays
10:19in the balls,
10:19not in the leather ball,
10:21not in the tennis ball.
10:23He has always thought,
10:24I'll give up.
10:25You've seen Siraj
10:26from the other side.
10:27I've never thought,
10:28I'll do this.
10:29I'll do this.
10:30How will I reach
10:30India?
10:31Or before,
10:31it was the need
10:32that I'll do it
10:33one day.
10:33I will show you.
11:03I will show you in the evening.
11:05So, he did a lot of workouts.
11:07He was missing.
11:09He felt that he was missing.
11:11So, is that the big difference?
11:13Is that the big difference you have seen?
11:15That he is very fit now.
11:17His fitness is what has changed him.
11:19That's why he is able to bowl fast for such a long period of time.
11:23Yes.
11:24He always focuses on fitness.
11:26He doesn't eat junk food.
11:28He needs to avoid eating outside.
11:30He needs to maintain diet.
11:32So, yes.
11:33You stay in Hyderabad.
11:35You are saying that he doesn't eat biryani today?
11:39Definitely.
11:40Definitely.
11:41He will have.
11:42But occasionally not on regular basis.
11:44He has made things like that.
11:46But he has put pizza, diet course, etc.
11:49He has made things like that.
11:51Have you spoken to him since we won the match?
11:56And what did he say to you on the phone?
11:58What did he say to you on the phone?
11:59Yes.
12:00I was talking to you on the phone.
12:01I was talking to you on the phone.
12:02And he was very, very, very happy.
12:06On the way to the bus, people were traveling and going to the hotel.
12:10So, he was very tired.
12:12His body was very tired.
12:14He was tired.
12:15He was tired.
12:16He was tired.
12:17He was tired.
12:18But he wants to win the match for the nation.
12:21Tell me though.
12:22What do we…
12:23When he is not playing cricket.
12:24Is Siraj very relaxed?
12:25Because he feels very intense on cricket field.
12:27As if he is ready for a fight.
12:29Is Siraj very relaxed?
12:30Is Siraj very relaxed?
12:31Because he feels very intense on cricket field.
12:32As if he is ready for a fight.
12:35When he is at home, he is relaxed?
12:37Or is he prepared to win the match for that?
12:39No, no, no.
12:40He is completely different off the field.
12:42Like, you know, he is happy mood.
12:44He is happy mood.
12:45He is happy mood.
12:46He is happy mood.
12:47He is happy mood.
12:48So, when he is in that field,
12:49he is like dragged by aggression.
12:51He is angry.
12:53That's it.
12:54That's it.
12:55The match is finished.
12:56That's sorry.
12:57P.J. Ground pitch.
12:58Back to normal.
12:59Friendly mahol.
13:01And how is the family celebrating today at home?
13:04How is the…
13:05Mohamed Siraj and family…
13:06Mohamed Ismael and all…
13:07How are you…
13:08What is the celebration today?
13:10A little bit today…
13:11Today you have to eat biryani for everyone in your colony.
13:15I am not surprised.
13:16I am just waiting for him to come.
13:18People are just waiting for him to come.
13:19They are just waiting for him to come.
13:21We are just waiting for him to come.
13:23Right, right, right.
13:25But listen,
13:26Ismael,
13:27he has done the country enormously proud.
13:29He has done Hyderabad,
13:30the family and the country very proud.
13:32When I see Mohamed Siraj,
13:34I can see the fire of new India in him.
13:37So…
13:38I am watching these pictures.
13:40A little party in your house.
13:42A little bit started.
13:44But congratulations, Ismael.
13:46And all the very best.
13:48Thank you so much for joining me.
13:53Wonderful.
13:54Wonderful story.
13:55Mohamed Siraj has come from the back lanes of Hyderabad
13:58to become the latest national hero.
14:00There are so many Indian cricket stories.
14:02Father was an auto rickshaw driver.
14:04Today he has done the country proud.
14:06This is the story of new India.
14:08And India which is driven purely at least on the cricket field by merit.
14:12Not by who your father is.
14:15I am a living example of that.
14:17My dad played for the country.
14:19I wasn't good enough.
14:20On the sports field, you have to prove yourself.
14:23And Siraj has done that.
14:25I want to go back a bit to Sunil Gavaskar who we spoke to earlier.
14:29Mr. Gavaskar, you mentioned the fighting spirit of this Indian team.
14:34Mohamed Siraj exemplifying that in a way.
14:36Along with many others like Ravinder Jadeja, Washington Sundar.
14:39In a way, do you think 3-1 to India or 3-2 would possibly have been a fairer result
14:44that we competed and should have actually beaten the English?
14:48Well, I mean, at the end of the day, you've got to look at the results.
14:52The results will do all.
14:54When you look at the session spy as they call it, you know,
14:57you see that India won a lot more sessions in this series.
15:01You would have had 20 sessions for the first four test matches.
15:06And for this test match, you had 13 sessions.
15:10So out of say 33 sessions, I think India won probably 21.
15:15And there were some shared, etc.
15:18So India definitely had the better part of this whole series.
15:23But the crucial sessions were won by England.
15:25And that is the reason why we find this series to all.
15:28But look, to go overseas and to draw a series is a huge achievement.
15:34It's easy to win at home.
15:35But to come out the way that these teams have with a shared series is fantastic.
15:41How do you compare it, Mr. Gawaskar, to Australia 2021?
15:46Then we actually won the series, that famous game at Brisbane at the Gabba.
15:50You were then also wearing your lucky jacket.
15:52Which is the bigger win for this new India team?
15:55Gabba 2021 or Oval 2025?
15:58Well, comparisons always, you know, are, you know, ODS.
16:03Comparisons, you know, different conditions, everything.
16:06So, very difficult.
16:07But when you look at the Gabba win, you know that that was almost like a B or a C team of the Indian team.
16:13Because, you know, you had so many injuries, a lot of players, therefore, were not available.
16:17You had a completely new attack.
16:19That was, I think, Mahmoud Siraj's first couple of test matches.
16:22And he got a Pfeiffer over there at the Gabba as well.
16:25Getting rid of Steve Smith at crucial times.
16:28Steve Smith was in very good form.
16:30And then, of course, Washington Sundar played in that game.
16:32Shubhman Gill also was very new at that stage.
16:36Pujara took all the blows.
16:38He's in the commentary box today.
16:39But he took all the blows, stuck around.
16:41So, yes, I think you could say that maybe, you know, because of the fact that, you know,
16:45it was not a full-strength Indian team then, you could possibly rate it there.
16:50But, you know, with the demands and the pressures that have just increased on this Indian team.
16:55Expectations, pressures of expectations, I mean.
16:57And demands of performance.
16:59This performance also has to rank very high.
17:04Also because, Mr. Gavaskar, this series came without Rohit Sharma, without Virat Kohli,
17:08without Ravi Chandran Ashwin, all legends of the game retiring.
17:11This new generation, do you see this now, you know, that we now have the makings of a fine team for the future,
17:21led by Shubhman, managed by Gautam Gambhir.
17:23Are we seeing a post-Virat Rohit generation emerge?
17:30Yes, I think the way some of the newer guys have come on.
17:33Yashashvi Jaiswal, for example, last couple of years, he's been scoring hundreds quite regularly.
17:39Sai Sudarshan has shown a great deal of promise as far as the bowling is concerned as well.
17:44Akash Thiep also is not a regular player.
17:47But in this series, he showed that he can handle the new ball and bowl it well.
17:52So, all in all, I think this team certainly has shown it has got the potential to win, not just in India, but all over the world.
18:03One final question, Mr. Gavaskar.
18:05You know, I started out by saying you're the one link between that famous win, the first win in 1971, 54 years ago and now.
18:12I must ask you, what keeps you going? What makes you still so excited about Indian cricket?
18:21Quite simply, Indian cricket has made me. And I'm what I am because of Indian cricket. I'll never forget that.
18:27So, if I can get involved with Indian cricket in the commentary box, I just love Indian cricket.
18:31And therefore, for me to be present on these occasions at Kappa over here is just a blessing from above.
18:40That's all I can say. And like I said, because of Indian cricket is what I've got all these opportunities. And here I am.
18:50Mr. Sunil Gavaskar for joining me there. As I said, people will remember 71, then 1979, when on this very grounded Oval, you scored a double century.
18:59Today, this heroic miracle win in some ways. As always, great talking to you. Keep that jacket on.
19:06Because we are going to win many more matches, hopefully with this new generation of players.
19:11Thank you so much for joining me, the one and only Sunil Gavaskar.
19:15Good to listen to Siraj's brother and to Mr. Gavaskar.
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