The banal and the unfunny

In DNA, Avirook Sen bemoans the state of commentary in India, and in particular criticises the work of Sunil Gavaskar and Navjot Sidhu.

... there is something in Gavsakar’s commentary that is below banal. This is his preoccupation with personal achievement — and survival.

At times, this is merely petty: you will always find Gavaskar thinking on the batsman’s behalf when he is approaching a landmark. His assumption is almost unfailingly this: the guy will slow down to achieve the milestone, no matter what the state of the game.

At times, it gets plain ridiculous. Like his theory of “conserving energy” which is his advocacy of being less active on a cricket field. (Ian Chappell had a really good laugh about this one time.)