- Team India’s cricket fortunes have wavered into great extremes over the last eight months or so is stating the obvious. Soon after Rahul Dravid relinquished the position of head coach of the senior team, the BCCI mandarins wasted no time in appointing the former opener Gautam Gambhir as a replacement. As cricket enthusiasts know, Gautam Gambhir was a serious competitor during his playing days with an aggressive demeanor unafraid to take on anyone when the situation demanded. The Indian cricket fans have witnessed how Gambhir’s disposition was on the field while representing India. The Indian Premier League further showcased the aggressive streak of Gambhir while captaining the side and also heading the coaching of franchises.
PC: NDTV Sports
- The appointment of Gambhir as the head coach of the senior Indian cricket team came about largely on the basis of his performance as the franchise head coach/mentor, especially his twin wins representing Kolkata Knight Riders. The opinions sought by the board mandarins about the suitability of Gambhir as the choice to head the coaching responsibilities may have been positive since the hugely popular IPL produced the desired results. However, international cricket – more specifically Test matches – are a different kettle altogether from the slam-bang variety whose popularity and following have reached stratospheric levels in the last decade or so. The moot point to ponder over here is whether choosing Gautam Gambhir was the right choice.
PC:The Indian Express
- While Rahul Dravid relinquished the position with a win in the T20 World Cup, the initiation of Gambhir has been anything but successful. The 3-0 whitewash against the visiting New Zealand in the Test series in familiar home conditions was a shocker, to say the least. Team India lost the bilateral ODI series against Sri Lanka while visiting also did not go as per the script. The much-touted five-match Test series in Australia turned about to be a forgettable series for Team India since the hammering received would require quite some time to heal. Team India was brutally exposed, and the mauling received would be traumatic for the team looking at the transition to regroup in the shortest possible time.
PC: Sports Talk
Undoubtedly, Gambhir’s contributions are already under the scanner since the anticipated elevation of Team India hasn’t happened in the last few months. Agreed, the entire blame for Team India’s poor performance cannot be laid on the head coach. Some of the superstar cricketers like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli haven’t performed at their best. Ravi Ashwin has retired from international cricket. Thus, the BCCI would be well adviced to allow Gambhir some more time to ensure he delivers on expected lines. Two big events viz. the 50-over ICC Champions Trophy and the five-match Test series between India and England are scheduled in the next six months. If Team India performs exceptionally well here, the issue of head coach settles down organically
