File Photo: Sunil Gavaskar during IPL 7.
© BCCI
Sunil Gavaskar was having some real 'fun' at the expense of the West Indians in the fourth ODI in Dharamsala on Friday. Commentating in Hindi for the host broadcasters as part of BCCI's production team, Gavaskar adroitly mixed his cricket punditry and knowledge of old Bollywood music as the West Indies top order looked all at sea against the pace and swing of India's new ball bowlers. (Blog | Scorecard)
"Gaya, Gaya, Gaya, Pollard to Gaya (Gone, Gone, Gone, Pollard is gone)", said Gavaskar at his poetic best after Kieron Pollard edged Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Shikhar Dhawan at slips. West Indies were chasing 331 for a win and Pollard, promoted to No. 3, scored 6. "He was clueless about the swing. He played in one direction and the ball went in another," a bemused Gavaskar said.
Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami generated prodigious swing and pace on the Dharamsala track and West Indies batsmen never looked in comfort. As Pollard and Marlon Samuels struggled to read the line and length, Gavaskar 'sang' "Dhundo Dhundo Re Sajna" from the 1961 Dilip Kumar, Vyjayanthimala-starrer Ganga Jamuna, a Bollywood dacoit drama that inspired a series of such films down the years. The number, whose lyrics were penned by Shakeel Badayuni and composed by the legendary Naushad, was sung by Lata Mangeshkar.
But there was nothing musical about West Indies' play on Friday. The team that thrashed India by 124 runs in the first ODI in Kochi and gave Dhoni's boys a tough fight in the second at Delhi, looked totally listless. The decision to quit the India tour reflected on their performance.
"West Indies are in no mood to play. When the mind refuses to do anything, it becomes difficult to perform," said Gavaskar, adding: "West Indian approach and attitude were unprofessional." (West Indies Quit India Tour)
Fellow-commentator Arun Lal echoed Gavaskar's feelings. Former Test batsman Aakash Chopra said: "West Indies have gone bust after the Kochi game. They just did not arrive in Dharamsala to play cricket."
West Indies are famous at self-destruction. The Delhi ODI was a classic example when they lost seven wickets in 45 runs from a winning position.
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