Michael Atherton 'offers peace' to Sunil Gavaskar on Nasser Hussain's behalf, he responds

The Sunil Gavaskar-Nasser Hussain episode garnered plenty of limelight on the opening day of the Headingley Test between England and India, as Gavaskar raised objections to Hussain’s remarks regarding the previous Indian generations getting bullied by their opposition.

Hussain, in his column for the Daily Mail after India recorded a 151-run win over hosts at Lord’s, wrote: “Virat Kohli is the right man at the right time to lead this formidable India side. His players, in particular the bowlers, want an aggressive captain. They want Kohli stirring things up, as he did so effectively in that brilliant second Test at Lord’s… This India are not a side who will be bullied, as perhaps previous generations have been.”

His comments regarding the previous generations did not sit well with Gavaskar, who vocally expressed his dissatisfaction and questioned Hussain on live television during the build-up of the third Test.

On the second day, however, Michael Atherton, one of Hussain’s good friends and a renowned TV broadcaster, offered peace on his behalf while interacting with Gavaskar on air on Sony Sports Network.

“I have come to offer peace from Nasser Hussain’s behalf after what happened yesterday,” Atherton said. Gavaskar, who was on the panel alongside Ajit Agarkar and Harsha Bhogle responded saying, “I never took a backward step so I’m not gonna do that even now. This should be pretty much known to those who know me by now”.

The Gavaskar-Hussain debate 

Gavaskar: “You said this India will not be bullied as perhaps the previous generations would be. (Me) Belonging to the previous generation, could you perhaps enlighten which generation? And what is the exact meaning of bully?”

Hussain: “I just think, the Indian side under the aggression of the past, would have said ‘no no no’. But what Kohli has done is to make them go doubly hard. I saw a little bit of that in Sourav Ganguly’s side and he started that, Virat is continuing with it. Even when Virat was not there, Ajinkya really went hard at the Australians. I just don’t think you want to wake this Indian side up.”

Gavaskar: “But when you say previous generations were bullied, I don’t think so. I’d be very upset if my generation was being talked about as being bullied. If you have a look at the record, in 1971 we won, that was my first tour in England. 1974, we had internal problems so we lost 3-0. 1979, we lost 1-0, it could have been 1-1 if we chased down 438 at the Oval. 1982 we again lost 1-0. In 1986 we won 2-0, we could have won it 3-0. So, I don’t think my generation we were bullied. I don’t think aggression means you have always got to be at the face of the opposition. You can show passion, you can show your commitment towards your team without yelling after each fall of wicket.”

Hussain: “I for one, quite like the way Kohli leads this side. That’s what I wanted to say. That team talk in which he said ‘let’s unleash fire on this English side’ and you could see the fire that they unleashed.”

Gavaskar: “There is no argument in that. The question is saying that the previous generations were bullied. I don’t think this is right.”