'15 wickets in a day in India, man, there would be hell!"
The Sydney Cricket Ground track was "not ideal" for a Test match, according to batting great Sunil Gavaskar, but India Head Coach Gautam Gambhir praised the wicket as "spicy" and "result-oriented".
As many as 26 wickets fell on the first two days of the fifth Test between Australia and India, while four Indians and as many Australians were dismissed on Day 3 as bowlers largely dominated the proceedings.
"It's been some really nice wickets. It's good for Test cricket as well. There was enough for the bowlers, and there was enough for the batters as well. But that is what's going to keep Test cricket alive," said Gambhir, while addressing the media after India lost the fifth Test.
"And this was not the typical Sydney wicket, what we normally are used to or we've seen in the past as well. But then this is how Test cricket needs to be played. Result-oriented wickets. I know we talk a lot about, when we go back home, about turning wickets, but this was as spicy as probably what we get back home."
Gavaskar, however, had criticised the SCG track during the final session on Saturday.
"When I saw the pitch, I did say the cows could have gone and grazed on it," he said on ABC Sport.
"This is not the ideal Test match pitch that you want because you want it to go into the fourth or the fifth day. Unless there is rain, I don't see us being here on Day 4.”
Gavaskar said it would have attracted criticism from Australian and England cricketers if a similar wicket was provided in India.
"All hell would have broken loose. There would have been all kinds of innuendos, all sorts of comments about 'Is this a good pitch?'" he said.
"Even former players who played on this pitch before were so surprised. We had Glenn McGrath saying he'd never seen that much grass on the pitch. The point is, when you go overseas, yosu have to be prepared to play on the surface."
'We are not moaners, we are not whingers'
The 75-year-old former batter also criticised former players for complaining about tough Indian pitches.
"Over the years, have you ever heard a former Indian cricketer complain about conditions? They accept that's what playing overseas is all about.
"We are not moaners, we are not whingers. When we go (abroad) and play cricket, we will tough it out, and if we are beaten, we are beaten. We understand that overseas it's very difficult to beat home teams. You'll never find us complaining.
"But 15 wickets in a day in India, man, there would be hell!"
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