To say earlier Indian teams were not tough is nonsense – Sunil Gavaskar slams Nasser Hussain

Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has lashed out at former England skipper Nasser Hussain for his recent statements. Hussain had recently said that the Indian team were a ‘nice’ side and they got tough under the leadership of former captain Sourav Ganguly. Consequently, Gavaskar stated that earlier Indian teams were also tough in their approach but it won’t show in their actions.

Gavaskar also questioned Hussain if he is suggesting that Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and VVS Laxman were not tough in their approach. Every player has his own  methods on the field and Gavaskar doesn’t want to define intent or aggression by one’s action. Some players might show it whereas the others may not but it doesn’t mean that the one who is not in the face of the opposition is not aggressive.

“Nasser [Hussain] went on to say that earlier the team would be wishing the opposition good morning and smiling at them etc. See this perception: That if you are nice then you are weak. That unless you are in the face of the opposition, you are not tough,” Gavaskar wrote in his column in Mid-Day.

“Is he suggesting that Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh to name just a few were not tough? That just because they went about their business without any chest-thumping, swearing, screaming and pumping their arms in obscene gestures, they were weak?”

Gavaskar questioned Hussain’s knowledge on Indian cricket before Sourav Ganguly took over the captaincy in 2000. The Little Master added that the Indian team has savoured great success in the 1970s and 1980s when they won both overseas as well as in the Indian conditions.

Gavaskar admitted that Ganguly was a great Indian captain but it doesn’t mean that the other leaders were not up to the mark.

“And what does he know of the toughness of the teams in the Seventies and Eighties, which won overseas as well as at home to make that statement? Yes, Ganguly was a top captain, taking over the reins at a most delicate time in Indian cricket, but to say that earlier teams were not tough is nonsense,” Gavaskar said.

Hussain’s statement hasn’t gone down well with Gavaskar. In fact, Gavaskar always takes pride in backing his era and he never tolerates any kind of insulting remarks on the previous Indian teams. Recently, one of the BCCI officials had made a statement regarding Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy. The BCCI official had stated IPL sans foreign players will be like Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy and Gavaskar had lashed out at the official for insulting the former great Indian batsman.