Sunil Gavaskar feels India should be grateful to Joe Root for his generosity

With their backs to the wall having conceded a 2-0 lead after losing the first two Tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s respectively, India were well and truly staring down the barrel of another series-defeat in England. However, Virat Kohli and Co have shown an unruffled temperament and are currently in a dominating position in the third Test at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.

After being put into bat first by Joe Root, the visitors haven’t looked back and kept drilling one nail after the other in the English coffin. The Three Lions require 498 runs to win and with two days remaining, India seem to be the firm favourites to emerge victorious. In the meantime, Sunil Gavaskar, the former Indian batsman, mentioned that India were lucky to be put into bat first.

In a way his decision was understandable

“India have come back in style after the defeat in the second Test. They have taken a firm grip on the game and should be able to wrap it up sooner than later. They have to thank the generosity of the England skipper Joe Root, who after winning the toss asked India to bat first,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying in The Times of India (TOI).

“In a way, his decision was understandable as the Indians were shell shocked after the first two Tests, in which they just weren’t able to cope with the swinging ball. Virat Kohli was the shining exception, of course, batting superbly in both innings of the first Test,” the 69-year-old added.

After scoring 329 runs in the first innings, India courtesy of Hardik Pandya’s incredible five-wicket haul bowled their opponents out for 161 runs. Thereafter, Kohli’s 23rd Test century coupled with Ajinkya Rahane and Pandya’s half-centuries helped India set a mammoth target of 521 runs for the Three Lions to win the encounter.

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