New Delhi: A loss to Sri Lanka in ODI series after 27 years, a first Test series defeat on home soil after 12 years, and that too with a whitewash, followed by a first Test series loss to Australia after 10 years. Not the best possible start for Gautam Gambhir as the head coach of the Indian men’s team in a short period of five months.
In a passionate nation where the game is pride and its players are revered in a divine status, it is inevitable to ask for accountability. And with constant drubbing, the vociferous nature of a supporter comes out in the form of jeers and jibes. The demands for sacking are loud and one can feel that the Delhi-born coach Gambhir must be running out of time.
All that noise is pertinent when the team is into tatters. But then this is just a learning curve for someone who has put on the shoes of an international coach for the first time. It was pointed out that Gambhir landed into the coaching role by the dint of being the mentor of the victorious Kolkata Knight Riders. Precisely that’s an arena the employers, which in case the BCCI, should have looked upon.
But now that he was onboarded with a three-year tenure until 2027, it seems the board has a larger picture with Gambhir. Not that in the past coaches and teams have seen such defeats. Under Duncan Fletcher, the Indian team would return with whitewash from England and Australia in the 2011-12 period.
Gambhir, who was part of the Indian team in the 2011-12 Border Gavaskar Trophy, came out and accepted that they are ready to take the backlash from the public after the team were 3-0 down. He understands that there is a lot of expectations from the team. He was the one to front up after India’s series loss in Sydney and admit that the team didn’t perform collectively.
He has also had stints of commentator before joining the coaching ship which helps him to warrantee criticism. Gambhir has a fighting spirit which has carried him throughout his playing career. Be it for securing his place from age-group cricket to senior team or just standing up for his players as a player or coach, the former cricketer knows how to bounce back from setbacks.
He has stated in one of his interviews that a winning team brings a happy dressing room and he won’t fret from pondering on what went wrong and work accordingly. For that some bold decisions are must and you expect Gambhir to take them.
Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as India’s head coach has faced significant setbacks, including series whitewashes against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Facing intense public criticism, Gambhir acknowledges the team’s underperformance and the high expectations surrounding Indian cricket. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
