Former India player and ex-coach of the national cricket team, Sanjay Bangar, has sparked controversy with his comment on-air during the India vs England fifth Test at The Oval, London. The remark from Bangar came on Day 3 of the match. During commentary, the former India all-rounder fat shamed Oval curator while discussing how the appearance of the pitch changed on the third day of the game. The pitch looked extremely green for the first two days due to the grass on it and that saw the fast bowlers having a lot of fun. A total of 21 wickets fell in the first two days.
However, on the third day, the pitch got a bit brownish as a lot of grass disappeared from the surface. While giving the reason behind it, Bangar stated that it was due to the heavy roller that was being used. This is when he made the controversial remark.
“That indeed is a very heavy roller, I must say. Not necessarily for the weight of the roller, but also the weight of the groundsman sitting on it,” Bangar said on Star Sports, as quoted by Times Now.
Bangar on Day 3 also lavished praise on pacer Akash Deep’s fluent batting effort in India’s second innings that provided a vital boost to the visiting side in the fifth Test.
Akash, who batted at number 4 as a nightwatchman played a memorable knock of 66 runs, laced with 12 fours and was involved in a 107-run third-wicket partnership with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. The duo not only rescued India’s innings but also set the platform for the batters to come.
“Akash Deep took his chances early on against Bethell in the very first over, but after that, he was very, very thoughtful. He played like a proper batsman; he is capable of batting, and he was the one who saved India from a follow-on in the Brisbane Test match. He showed a lot of heart and wasn’t afraid of the short ball.
“He took his chances when the field was up, defended when the field was back, and ran really well between the wickets. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s contribution was also immense in that partnership, as he made sure Akash Deep stayed in the zone and helped him stitch that partnership together,” Bangar said on JioHotstar.