India should put the Anderson controversy behind: Sunil Gavaskar
I don't think we should go on and on with it, the former India skipper says
New Delhi: Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar on Wednesday said that India should put behind the James Anderson fracas behind and focus on the fourth Test against England, starting at Manchester on Thursday.
"I have always believed that it should be the bat and the ball that should talk on the field. I think the matter now should rest at what has happened. I don't think we should go on and on with it," Gavaskar said.
"I believe it is a new match referee for this last two Test matches. And if Ranjan Madugalle could do justice to the game of cricket and tell the players that from this game onwards no verbals should be heard from anybody on the field, it should give Anderson and other players a belief that you cannot get away with it.
"Let's put what has happened in the past to rest and look at the future. I know India will put all these behind them. This is what good players do. I am sure Dhoni and his boys will focus on the next ball," he told NDTV.
A miffed BCCI had yesterday requested ICC CEO Dave Richardson to appeal against the verdict of Judicial Commissioner Gordon Lewis, who had found both the players (Anderson and Ravindra Jadeja) not guilty of breaching ICC's code of conduct during the first Test at Trent Bridge.
The ICC today rejected BCCI's review plea on Judicial Commissioner's verdict, pronouncing Anderson not guilty in his altercation with Jadeja.
Gavaskar said Indian batsmen should lo ok to play session by session.
"The secret is to play as late as possible at Manchester because the ball keeps moving in England and a lot of our batsmen keep pushing at the balls that they should be leaving. I think it is important to adept the mindset to play session wise and not think about scoring 30s or 50s," said the former India opener, who scored a century against England at Old Trafford in 1974.