Gavaskar condemns 'boring' England

Mark Butcher catches India'a Deep Dasgupta

Former Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar has launched an outspoken attack on England's "boring" approach to cricket.

Writing in the Hindustan Times, Gavaskar claimed England were more interested in avoiding defeat than forcing a win in the second Test at Ahmedabad, which ended in a draw.

If anybody has made the game boring over the years it is solely England with its misplaced theories and notions about the game.

Sunil Gavaskar

His comments came just 24 hours after England all-rounder Craig White suggested that India were "scared".

White told BBC Radio Five Live that India's refusal to chase a target of 374 in Ahmedabad, even though England have an inexperienced attack, showed the home side is feeling the pressure.

But Gavaskar believes it was England's negative tactics which ultimately led to stalemate on the final day.

"On a slowish pitch with a sluggish outfield, even Tendulkar at his best would not have been able to take India to victory.

"It is England who are one down in the series and needed to take the initiative to level the series. Instead it looked as if they were trying to avoid going two down in the series," he wrote.

England coach Duncan Fletcher said, however, that the onus had been on India.

"We set them four runs an over. They've got all the world-class players, they've got all the batters, they're not missing five or six of their top players.

"We've got one of the most inexperienced Test sides that's gone onto a cricket field of play and I can't believe people of that stature can make comments like that," he added.

It is not the first time Gavaskar has criticised England.

Gavaskar: No fan of the England style

Following the first Test at Mohali, he said some of the shots played by the batsmen "would not have been out of place in a Saturday afternoon bash between two church teams".

But Gavaskar, who is part of the BBC Test Match Special commentary team for the series, believes officials had stfiled flair within the English game.

He said the number of non-cricketers in the England touring party was just "an employment scheme masquerading as a tactical team".

And he added: "No wonder the flair players like Ian Botham, David Gower, to name two, have no place in England's cricketing thinking.

"They did not play strictly by the coaching book, but have a look at the victories they brought England with their approach and attitude."

Gavaskar is one of the all-time greats of Indian cricket, having scored 10,122 runs in 125 Test appearances, including 34 centuries.