London: England have no copyright to aggressive batting, according to West Indies star Chris Gayle, who insisted it existed “years before” he began his career as one of cricket’s most famous players.
Dynamic run-scoring has been a key feature of England’s ‘baseball’ approach to Test cricket under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.
But England opener Ben Duckett raised eyebrows when he suggested that their methods had inspired Indian counterpart Yashasvi Jaiswal to an unbeaten double century in the recent third Test in Rajkot.
Jaiswal, 22, smashed a blistering 214, including a Test record-equaling 12 sixes in an innings, as India thrashed England by a mammoth 434 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
It was also the left-handed opener’s second double century in as many Tests after Jaiswal’s 209 in Visakhapatnam.
Duckett, who himself smashed 153 off just 151 balls in England’s first innings at Rajkot, said of Jaiswal: “When you see opposition players playing like that, it almost feels like we should take credit for playing differently than others people play Test cricket.”
However, Gayle told AFP in a video conference call in London on Thursday: “Attacking cricket has been played for years, even before Chris Gayle really entered the international scene.”
The self-proclaimed ‘Boss of the Universe’ added: “We (West Indies) had the likes of Viv Richards, these guys set it up for us…Brian Lara, these guys also attack players of all formats. When you actually check their stats, see how they fared with their innings.
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“I don’t think he (Jaiswal) learned that from England. He developed that style of play with his coach and mentor (Jwala Singh). It’s just phenomenal.
“It’s like the guy’s been playing for 20 years, unbelievable. I just hope he can keep it up.”
Gayle, 44, has proved to be a prolific scorer during his 22-year international career.
A left-handed opener like Jaiswal, albeit a stronger and more physically imposing figure at the crease, the Jamaican posted an opening Twenty20 international hundred – a 57-ball 117 against South Africa in the 2007 World Twenty20.
Although one of the franchise’s first global T20 ‘guns for hire’, Gayle was also capable of sustained performances, including a nearly 10-run 333 against Sri Lanka’s standout off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan during the 2010 Galle Test.
Gayle, who said Jaiswal reminded him of the “attacking version” of his former West Indies teammate Shivnarine Chanderpaul, warned against interfering with India’s rising star’s technique.
“A lot will be expected of him as he goes on, but they should let him keep flowing,” he said on the eve of the fourth Test between India and England in Ranchi, which starts on Friday.
“He is an attacking player, you see that in his T20 cricket too…That is also in his nature and they should not try to limit him or try to change him.”
