Australia v India: Sunil Gavaskar empathises with Virat Kohli after lowest Test score debacle

Former India batsman was part of the team that got bowled out for 42 against England in 1974

Lowest Test scores

26 - New Zealand v England at Auckland, March 1955

30 - South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, Feb 1896

30 - South Africa v England at Birmingham, June 1924

35 - South Africa v England at Cape Town, April 1899

36 - South Africa v Australia at Melbourne, Feb. 1932

36 - Australia v England at Birmingham, May 1902

36 - India v Australia at Adelaide, Dec. 2020

38 - Ireland v England at Lord's, July 2019

42 - New Zealand v Australia in Wellington, March 1946

42 - Australia v England in Sydney, Feb. 1888

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar offered comforting words to the Indian team after they registered a record low total in the day-night Test against Australia on Saturday.

Virat Kohli's team folded for 36 in the second innings at the Adelaide Oval en route to a comprehensive eight-wicket defeat in the first match of the four-Test series.

India's previous lowest innings total was 42, registered during the 1974 Test against England at Lord's.

Gavaskar, who was part of that 1974 team, did not find any fault with Kohli and his men and simply attributed the collapse to a lethal pace attack, just like 46 years ago.

"Taking nothing away from the Australian bowling, they were absolutely superb today, there was nothing wrong with the Indian effort today," Gavaskar, the first batsman to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket, told Channel 7.

"In the same way as in 1974, overcast conditions at Lord's with the ball swinging around, none of us got out playing bad shots, we were all trapped lbw or caught behind," recalled the former opener.

"When you face bowling of that quality, with that line and length, it's very difficult to score runs and that's what happened to the Indians today."

Captained by Mike Denness, England won the 1974 Test by an innings and 285 runs after Geoff Arnold and Chris Old ran through India's batting lineup sharing nine wickets between them.

"I have to say, but for that classy five I got, they would never have reached 42," Gavaskar quipped.

Updated: December 20, 2020, 11:07 AM
Lowest Test scores

26 - New Zealand v England at Auckland, March 1955

30 - South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, Feb 1896

30 - South Africa v England at Birmingham, June 1924

35 - South Africa v England at Cape Town, April 1899

36 - South Africa v Australia at Melbourne, Feb. 1932

36 - Australia v England at Birmingham, May 1902

36 - India v Australia at Adelaide, Dec. 2020

38 - Ireland v England at Lord's, July 2019

42 - New Zealand v Australia in Wellington, March 1946

42 - Australia v England in Sydney, Feb. 1888