The Hindu : Sport : Tendulkar, a bad sport: Gilchrist

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Tendulkar, a bad sport: Gilchrist

Melbourne: While efforts are being made by both Indian and Australian players to keep emotions under control in the current cricket Test series, former wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist questioning Sachin Tendulkar’s honesty during the spiteful Sydney Test could open fresh wounds.

In his autobiography [True Colours], an extract of which will appear in the magazine Good Weekend, Gilchrist has hinted that Tendulkar was a sore loser and questioned his honesty in the “Monkeygate” affair that threatened to go out of hand during India’s last tour down under.

Terming Tendulkar’s testimony during Harbhajan Singh’s appeal as a “joke,” Gilchrist noted, “The Indians got him (Harbhajan) off the hook when they, of all people, should have been treating the matter of racial vilification with the utmost seriousness.”

Gilchrist was particularly disappointed with Tendulkar’s behaviour who, according to him, had initially told the hearing that he could not hear what was said, he was “certain he was telling the truth” because he was “a fair way away.”

But during the appeal which followed, Tendulkar said that Harbhajan used a Hindi term that sounded like “monkey” to Australian ears.

The stumper was convinced that Harbhajan was guilty and considered India’s threat to abandon the tour was “a disgraceful act, holding the game to ransom unless they got their way”, The Age reported.

He also wrote that there was vast difference in the manner the teams approached the game.

“In the Australian mentality, we play it hard and are then quick to shake hands and leave it all on the field. Some of our opponents don’t do it that way. Sachin Tendulkar, for instance, can be hard to find for a changing room handshake after we have beaten India. Harbhajan can also be hard to find. I guess it’s a case of different strokes for different folks.” — PTI

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