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No debt of gratitude owed to New Zealand: Sunil Gavaskar's 'Unfriendly' Words


image-lf7voqk3India won the series 2-1 [AP Photos]

Former Indian captain, Sunil Gavaskar, has voiced his opinion regarding India's qualification for the World Test Championship final against Australia in June.

The Indian veteran has stated that India owes no debt of gratitude to New Zealand for their assistance in their qualification, as their exceptional cricketing performance over the last two years has led them to the No.2 spot, making their place in the finals well-deserved.

New Zealand had earlier contributed to India's qualification by winning a last-ball thriller against Sri Lanka, thereby ending Sri Lanka's hopes of reaching the World T20 final with a 2-0 series sweep over Tim Southee's men.

"I don't think India owe New Zealand anything. India have played outstanding cricket over the years to qualify, to be the No.2 team, whatever you might say," Gavaskar told India Today.

Gavaskar firmly believes that India's outstanding performance over the years speaks for itself, and India's qualification to the finals is solely based on their individual efforts. According to the renowned commentator, India deserves to be in the finals on their own, and he feels that India's exceptional performance over the last two years is a testament to their remarkable cricketing skills.

India retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a 2-1 series victory over Australia on Monday. The fourth and final test ended in a stalemate, with India holding on to the trophy they have held since 2016-17. The victory was India's 16th consecutive Test series win at home.

In the final Test in Ahmedabad, India had put themselves in a position where they could not lose the game with a 91-run lead after the first innings, thanks to an outstanding century by Virat Kohli. 

However, their chances of winning the series depended on Australia collapsing. Unfortunately, the pitch at Narendra Modi Stadium did not degrade sufficiently to advantage India's spinners, resulting in a draw.