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[Watch] When Boycott Called Gautam Gambhir ‘Rubbish’, And He Got Out On Next Ball

image-ln3bqh6bGautam Gambhir reacts after getting out to James Anderson (x.com)

Batting great Gautam Gambhir and his resolute presence at the crease elevated him to an elite status. As a formidable opener, Gambhir’s dedication and contributions to the Indian team stand as a testament to his commitment to the sport, considering he engineered sublime match-winning knocks in two of India’s three World Cup final triumphs.

Despite boasting of a glittering international career, the cricketer did face significant challenges, particularly while playing Test matches in England. Averaging just 12.70 on English surfaces across two trips to the country, Gambhir was once brutally ridiculed by on-air commentator Geoffrey Boycott.

The former England batsman described the Indian opener as a ‘rubbish batsman’ on swinging English pitches, and claimed he is someone who has only excelled in his career by stacking up runs on batting friendly pitches in India.

Gautam Gambhir gets out after being ridiculed by Boycott

Gautam Gambhir managed just 127 runs across five Test matches in England, thus summing up his two failed Test trips to the country (2011 and 2014).

During the final Test of India’s 2014 tour, Gambhir was mocked by on-air commentator Geoffrey Boycott to a point that the former English opener described him a “rubbish batsman”. Much to Gambhir’s dismay, he was dismissed by seasoned speedster James Anderson off the very next delivery within the opening over of the match.

During Gambhir’s entire ordeal against Anderson, Boycott can be heard saying:

“Gautam Gambhir is now marking his crease and he is one of those rubbish players in this Indian side.”

After Gambhir got out, the cricketer-turned-commentator added:

“Well he is rubbish, isn’t he? I told ya, you can’t bat in England. I have seen him play in nearly all his 50 Test matches. Flat decks in India where the ball doesn’t bounce and doesn’t do much. That’s just crazy batting.”

 Watch Geoffrey Boycott rant on Gautam Gambhir

Contrary to Geoffrey Boycott’s claims, Gautam Gambhir averaged 43.61 in away Test matches, a number significantly higher than his home Test average of 40.73.

Moreover, Gambhir also averaged 89 in New Zealand and over 60 in South Africa throughout his career. Unknowingly, he played his final Test match against England in Rajkot in November 2016 and announced his retirement from all forms of the game two years later.