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'What was the hurry? What was the need to play the big shot?': Gavaskar questions 'thinking' behind Deepak Chahar's slog
Reacting to the outcome of the match and Chahar's untimely slog, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said that Deepak could have opted to knock off the remaining runs in singles and that there was no need to play the big shot.
The third ODI between India and South Africa proved to be a heartbreak for the Men in Blue as KL Rahul and Co came close to a win, only to lose the match narrowly by four runs. At one stage, victory seemed to be in India’s grasp with Deepak Chahar batting on a well-set 50 and the team requiring 10 runs off the final three overs. But just when it seemed that India would end the tour on a winning note, Chahar, trying to clear the in-field, perished to a hoick and South Africa broke through the door to make it 3-0.
Reacting to the outcome and Chahar’s untimely slog, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said that Deepak could have opted to knock off the remaining runs in singles and that there was no need to play the big shot. Gavaskar added that having batted so splendidly to bring India to the brink of a victory, Chahar perhaps got carried away as he skied Lungi Ngidi to Dwaine Pretorius which eventually cost India the match.
“The way the last 10 overs were turning out, it seemed as if South Africa would find it tough to win. But the way they kept their composure. The pressure was on them after Lungi Ngidi conceded a few runs. But after that, some of the shots we saw, maybe you could say… ‘what was the hurry? Deepak Chahar played such a wonderful innings, had almost pulled the match. We needed just 10 runs and some 18 balls were left. You could have taken singles and won the game. At that time, what was the need to play the big shot?” Gavaskar said on Sports Tak.
While he did not criticise Chahar, Gavaskar did point out a ‘thinking’ that has started to plague Indian cricket. The need to finish a match with a glory shot, says Gavaskar, has crept in the minds of players due to the game’s popularity being on a constant high. The glamour, the exposure and the temptation to be a hero is what Gavaskar feels is impacting the cricketers, which he explained was responsible behind Chahar’s shot.
"I am not faulting him. I am just saying that today the thinking is such that if you have to achieve win, you do it only through fours and sixes. Not through singles. And because of this, the match which was in India’s hands, slipped out of it," added Gavaskar.
"I am not criticising. I am just questioning this thinking that has crept into the minds of people. If you win by taking singles, people won’t say a thing. But if you hit fours, they'll say 'look, he hit a boundary to win the match. Look, he hit a six to win the match.' The urge to hear these cheers is why no one wants to take singles and win the match."
