Cricket Australia was indeed at fault because it would have been nice to see Sunil Gavaskar join Allan Border in handing over the 2025 Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia, according to Michael Clarke. He said that it just would not make sense to have only the icon of the winning country hand over the trophy to the captain with both legends present at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Gavaskar was the first person to articulate his disappointment. Just after the presentation to the Australian side was finished, he spoke with Code Sports. ‘”I would have been happy to present it with my good friend Border, and it doesn’t matter I am Indian,” he expressed.
“I just think Cricket Australia missed a trick,” Clarke said on ESPN Australia. “Now I know a lot of people don’t know that it was planned before the series began, that if India were to win, Sunil Gavaskar would present the trophy. If Australia were to win, Alan Border would present the trophy. So it wasn’t a surprise to those two guys. But to me, it just doesn’t make sense. Like, they’re both there. It doesn’t matter who won; in my opinion, they both should have walked out, they both should have been on stage, and they both should have awarded the trophy.”
In addition, Clarke knew Gavaskar taking offense.
I think we are very lucky to have both Allan Border and Sunny Gavaskar in this country, commentating at the right time. You wouldn’t really get that very often. Both legends of the game that the trophy bears the name are still around and are in the country at the same time. So I just think we missed a trick here. I think it sounds to me that, you know, it obviously offended Sunny as well, and I can understand why. I think they both should have been on that stage presenting that trophy no matter who won. Thus, added the former Australia skipper.
Australia won the SCG Test by six wickets and thus clinched the series 3-1. The trophy was the first to go across to Border’s land since 2017.
Gavaskar and Border have shared an excellent relationship ever since their playing careers. The series was named after them in 1996 when they were the only two batters with more than 10,000 runs in men’s Tests.
