Gavaskar questions 'abject surrender'

Former skipper Sunil Gavaskar has heavily crticised India, after Thursday's 66-run defeat at the hands of England in the third Test at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.

Former skipper Sunil Gavaskar has heavily crticised India, after Thursday's 66-run defeat at the hands of England in the third Test at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.

Triumphant in the second fixture at Lord's in London earlier this month, the tourists endured a considerably poorer performance this week, as the five-match series drew level ahead of Tests four and five at Old Trafford in Manchester and The Oval in London respectively.

"To lose this Test even before lunch on the final day showed zero resistance whatsoever," Gavaskar told <i>NDTV</i>.

"There was no fight and that is a disappointing aspect. India's loss was an abject surrender.

"India had England on the ropes at Lord's. I don't know what they did in the five intervening days before the game but they were sloppy on the field at Southampton."

Fast bowler Ishant Sharma, meanwhile, has been ruled out of the penultimate Test by a leg injury. All-rounder Bhuvneshwar, nursing a hurt ankle, is in doubt.

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