Published: Jan 06, 2022, 04:18 PM (IST)
Edited: Jan 06, 2022, 04:18 PM (IST)
New Delhi: Terming Kapil Dev as India’s best cricketer to have ever taken the field, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar reckons that if the Indian team go on to win the ongoing Test match against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, it would be the best possible gift for India’s World Cup-winning captain.
One of the greatest all-rounders, Dev turned 63 on Thursday as the second Test at Johannesburg is poised evenly heading into the fourth and what promises to be the final day.
South Africa are 122 runs away from levelling the series 1-1, while India need eight wickets from taking an unassailable 2-0 lead and registering their maiden Test series win in the country.
The 72-year old Gavaskar feels that Team India can give a historic win as a gift to the legendary captain on his birthday.
“And the way I look at it is, I mean, weather permitting tomorrow happens to be the birthday in my view of India’s greatest cricketer – Kapil Dev. So I think it will be a wonderful gift for Kapil from this Indian team. There are many admirers of Kapil Dev in this team. So from this team to Kapil Dev, that will be a fantastic present,” Gavaskar said during the lunch interval of Day 3.
Further to that, Gavaskar also reckons that since India has never gone on to win a series in South Africa, this will be huge for Indian cricket.
“India have never won a series here. In fact, India have won very few Test matches here. The last time India came here in 2018, they won the one-day series but they lost the Test series 2-1. So this is going to be huge for India,” he added.
Gavaskar was an integral part of Kapil Dev’s 1983 team that won the historic first ODI World Cup trophy at Lords, beating the mighty West Indies in the final.
(With IANS Inputs)
