Gavaskar reveals Australia walkoff secret, Shakoor Rana spat and the day he sat out laps ‘in spirit’
Sunil Gavaskar has lifted the lid on some of cricket’s most talked-about incidents — his famous 1981 Melbourne walkoff, a fiery on-field exchange with umpire Shakoor Rana, and a string of candid memories spanning three decades — in a conversation on the Mid Wicket Tales YouTube channel alongside Allan Border, hosted by former elite umpire Simon Taufel. Gavaskar revealed that wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani was unwittingly responsible for the iconic Melbourne walkoff. Already walking off after being given out LBW to Dennis Lillee, he was abused by Australian players, prompting him to turn back and signal to batting partner Chetan Chauhan to leave with him. The trigger, he said, was a single word Kirmani had used the previous day. When a stumping appeal against Border was referred to the square leg umpire, Kirmani had threatened to walk off himself if given not out. His reasoning was unambiguous. “It’s not about a decision,” Kirmani had told Gavaskar. “If this is given not out, my integrity is questioned that I did some mischief. I’m going to walk off.” …


