Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar expressed his anger at not being part of the post-match trophy presentation after the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which came into being in the 1996-97 India-Australia Test series, is named after Indian and Australian icons Sunil Gavaskar and Allan Border respectively.
Cricket Australia (CA) had apparently planned the presentation in such a way that Gavaskar would present the trophy to the Indian captain if they retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and Border would do the same if Australia emerged victorious.
Thus, the Indian legend stood by the boundary rope watching as Border presented the trophy to Australian captain Pat Cummins after the hosts won the Sydney Test to take the five-match series 3-1.
Speaking about the same after the performance, Gavaskar was quoted by Code Sports. [via Indian Express]:
“I certainly would have loved to be there for the presentation. After all, it is the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and it is about Australia and India. I mean, I am here on the ground. For me it shouldn’t matter that Australia won. As for as far as presentation goes, they played better cricket and won. Just because I am Indian (I wouldn’t have gladly presented the trophy).”
India were champions of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the last four editions. However, Australia finally clinched the coveted trophy for the first time since 2014-15.
“I am very fond of AB” – Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar recently expressed his affection for Allan Border and said that their relationship took off during MCC’s Bicentenary celebrations in 1987.
The duo scored over 10,000 runs each in Test cricket, combining for an incredible 61 centuries as they dominated the 1970s and 1980s with their willow.
“I am very fond of AB (Border). The relationship really blossomed when we both played for the Rest of the World team against MCC during MCC’s Bicentennial celebrations in 1987. We spent three weeks together, traveling together and playing some games against county before the match against MCC we really came together, we got to know each other, the culture, the person,” Gavaskar said. [via Indian Express].
“It’s a bit like what IPL does these days, bringing people from different countries together. I feel honoured, privileged and blessed that the series between India and Australia bears our name. Such an iconic series, it’s a blessing,” he added.
Coming into the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, India won the first Test in Perth before Australia came back to win three of the next four matches.
Edited by Samya Majumdar.