Indian cricket great Sunil Gavaskar's on-air remarks on Rohit Sharma's captaincy went viral all over social media as the panel debated the Indian captain's field setting during the first session of play in the second Test match between India and New Zealand on Thursday (October 24) at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune.

India made three changes to their team, with Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar, and Akash Deep replacing KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mohammed Siraj in the playing XI. With India 1-0 down in the series, Rohit lost the toss as New Zealand decided to bat first.

In the 19th over of the innings, Rohit decided to spread out the field with the spinners bowling with both a long on and long off in place. The field setting divided opinions among cricket experts, with Gavaskar's remark going viral over social media.

“If you had fielders like that – long-on and long-off – for the spinners before a lofted shot had been played, the captain would’ve been called a defensive captain. He’s a defensive captain, he’s a negative captain. Here now you try and block the boundaries,' said Gavaskar.

"(Once the field changed) This is a good field in the sense that there is a fielder at long-on for - with the turn. The mid-off is inside, which is how it should be,” Gavaskar added.

Talking about the match, India's surprise selection of Sundar proved to be a masterstroke as the all-rounder ran riot in Pune with a seven-wicket haul. This was the 25-year-old's first five-wicket haul in Test cricket. It is worth pointing out that Sundar is playing a Test match for India after 43 months.

New Zealand were bowled out for 259, with Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway scoring half-centuries for the visitors. India came out to bat in the final session.

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