Dilip Vengsarkar unmasks Matthew Hayden's hypocrisy for Gautam Gambhir outburst: 'Would any of the Aussies take it?'

1983 World Cup-winning star Dilip Vengsarkar lashed out at Matthew Hayden for his comments on Gautam Gambhir's altercation with the Oval pitch curator. During a practice session ahead of the fifth Test, Gambhir became involved in a heated confrontation with Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis. The Indian head coach was heard telling Fortis, “You don’t tell any of us what we need to do. You have no right to tell us, you’re just a groundsman, nothing more,” while pointing a finger at him in anger. The heated exchange quickly went viral, adding extra spice to the build-up and further fuelling the hype around the match. Dilip Vengsarkar slams Matthew Hayden for telling Gautam Gambhir to use better language. (Getty and ANI Images)

After the match, legendary Australian batter Hayden weighed in, noting that the curator seemed intent on asserting control over the Oval as his home ground and creating challenges for Gambhir. However, he also remarked that the Indian coach could have chosen his words more carefully.

“This is a typical case in England. It is a bit of a flex, here we are, final Test match, this is my venue, and they are going to try and make it difficult on Gautam Gambhir. But I think he’s got every right to tone it down. He could have used better language. But the reality is, his team is trying to train ahead of the most important Test match,” Hayden said on All Over Bar The Cricket.

Meanwhile, Vengsarkar didn't like what Hayden said about the matter, as he strongly supported Gambhir. The former India captain criticised the Oval curator for refusing the Indian team a close inspection of the pitch, pointing out that visiting sides in India are always allowed to examine the surface in detail.

"As the head coach of the Indian team, Gambhir had every right to see the pitch from close quarters. When teams tour India, their entire squad, not just the captain and coach, examines the pitch minutely. Even their media inspects the pitch before the match. No one tells them anything. So, how are the rules different when we are playing in England?" Vengsarkar told the Mumbai Mirror.

'Aussies would have used choicest words'

He went on to criticise Hayden, questioning how Australian players would have responded if a curator had made a similar remark to him, insisting they would not have held back in the slightest.

"Would Hayden, or any of the Aussie cricketers, take it well if a curator had asked them to stay away from the square ahead of an important match? If this had happened to the Aussies, they would have used the choicest words to show the curator his place," he added.

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