‘Sunil Gavaskar didn't want to get killed in the West Indies’ – Anshuman Gaekwad on Virat Kohli taking paternity leave from the Australia tour

Former Indian cricketer Anshuman Gaekwad has revealed that Sunil Gavaskar didn’t want to get killed on the tour of the West Indies back in 1976. Rather the Little Master wanted to go to India to attend the birth of his son. Gaikwad put forth the incident in reference to Virat Kohli’s paternity leave from India’s ongoing tour of Australia.

The West Indies bowling attack spewed venom back in the 1970s and most of their bowlers resorted to bowling bouncers. Gavaskar even complained to the umpires that the Caribbean speedsters were bowling bouncers and beamers on a constant basis.

Sunil Gavaskar threw his gloves and bat and started walking around: Gaikwad

“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.

“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,” Gaekwad was quoted as saying to Sportskeeda.

“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,” he stated.

Kohli played in the ODI and T20I series on the Australia tour after which he played in the Day-Night Adelaide Test. He didn’t play the Melbourne Test and won’t be a part of the upcoming two Tests in Sydney and Brisbane either.

“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,” Gaikwad added.

Virat was greeted with mixed reactions after he took the paternity leave to be with his wife Anushka Sharma, who’s due to give birth in the month of January. Even as a number of pundits backed him and lauded him for the decision, a few of them reckon that he should have served his national team in Australia.