I really am not obliged to explain myself personally to you but if you must know, YES, I am very much an Indian from Bangalore. My family used to know that of V Subramaniam, the former Ranji Trophy player from Mysore (as it was then known) quite well. As I have said before, I am a strong supporter of Indian cricket- have been for over 40 years.

But that's besides the point. Who one supports is irrelevant when it comes to criticising outrageous behaviour - like that of Gavaskar throughout his career. Like everyone in these forums irrespective of nationality, I have a right to express an opinion within the framework of the rules and if that involves a dislike of my own countryman's petulant antics, so be it. If you don't like my opinions, nobody is forcing you to read them! If your idea of "India bashing" is the fact that I believe that India are unlikely to win this World Cup because of Dravid's unimaginative captaincy, then you have little idea of what constructive crticism should be like. I have great respect for Dravid as a sportsman and a Test batsman, but I also believe that he is not the ideal captain. But I would be very happy to be proven wrong if he succeeds in leading India to victory in this World Cup.