'Moaners and crybabies': Sunil Gavaskar mocks English media on-air with 'Ashwin walked the talk' reference

NEW DELHI: Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar minced no words in slamming English media for their persistent criticism of Indian pitches prior to a Test series. The former cricketer expressed his displeasure without holding back his words.

While commentating on the first day of the second Test between India and Bangladesh in Kanpur, Gavaskar launched a scathing attack on a section of the English media, labeling them as "moaners" and "crybabies" for their incessant complaints about Indian pitches that provide spin.

The morning session on Friday featured a compilation of Ashwin's outstanding hundred from the opening Test match. When Ashwin arrived at the crease batting at number eight, India were in a precarious position.


He proceeded to score his sixth century in Test cricket, establishing a new record for the seventh-wicket partnership with Ravindra Jadeja, who contributed 86 runs. Together, they rescued India from a challenging situation.

Following his exceptional performance with the bat, Ashwin further showcased his skills by claiming six wickets in the second innings. His all-round brilliance was instrumental in India's emphatic 280-run victory.

Ashwin's remarkable century at Chepauk marked his second ton at the venue. His previous century at the same ground came against England earlier this year, when India required crucial runs on a challenging Chepauk surface that provided a significant turn.

Gavaskar, while praising Ashwin's exceptional performance, recalled the English media's criticism of the Chepauk pitch during that match against England.

"He (Ashwin) actually said in the press conference that you can get a hundred if you apply yourself. So he walked the talk when the moaners were going on saying 'you can't bat here'. Saying and doing all the things like crybabies, typical English media stuff, where they only talk about Indian pitches," Gavaskar said.