Former England batsman Michael Atherton came to calm things down between Sunil Gavaskar and Nasser Hussain after the commentatros had a heated exchange ahead of the first day of the Headingley Test between England and India.
Gavaskar lashed out at Hussain on the pre-show of the Test on day one for his opinion piece, where Hussain expressed how the current Indian team does not get bullied like previous generations.
In his column for Daily Mail after India registered a memorable 151-run victory on the fifth day of the Lord’s Test, Hussain stated:
“Virat Kohli is the right man at the right time to lead this formidable India side. His players, in particular the bowlers, want an aggressive captain. This India are not a side who will be bullied, as perhaps previous generations have been.”
The former India captain was not amused by Nasser’s comments about the past generations and confronted him on the pre-show of Sony Pictures Network ahead of the toss. Gavaskar expressed his displeasure on air and asked Nasser what exactly he meant by bully.
Gavaskar also pointed out the achievements of the team he was part of, including the 1-0 series victory in England in 1971 and the 2-0 victory in 1986.
He was visibly upset with the remarks and told Hussain that aggression does not mean getting in the face of the opposition. The former England skipper, Hussain tried to calm the situation, conveying that he admires how Kohli leads the team and how the team is always up for a fight.
On the second day, Michael Atherton, Hussain’s fellow broadcaster and a friend, offered peace on his behalf in an interaction with Gavaskar on air.
“I have come to offer peace on Nasser Hussain’s behalf after what happened yesterday,”
the 53-year-old said.
Gavaskar, who was present on the commentary panel alongside Harsha Bhogle and Ajit Agarkar, said,
“I never took a backward step so I’m not gonna do that even now. This should be pretty much known to those who know me by now”.
