Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli in a conversation© AFP
Not all is well in the Indian team’s dressing room at the moment. With Australia leading 2-1 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with just one Test in Sydney to go, there’s an understandable discontent in the Indian team. Pressure has been increasing on India head coach Gautam Gambhir, under whom, the team produced some astonishing results against Sri Lanka (in ODIs), and New Zealand (in Tests at home) and is now on the brink of losing the Test assignment in Australia and with it, a chance to qualify for the World Test Championship final.
Gambhir is said to have lost his cool at a few top Indian stars who ‘went their own way’ in the 4th Test against Australia in Melbourne and ended up throwing their wicket away. As a result, India lost the match and the team now stands on the brink of elimination from the WTC final race.
“Bahut ho gaya (I’ve had enough),” Gambhir told the Indian team soon after the players’ return to the dressing room after a loss in Melbourne, as per Indian Express.
The India head coach is reportedly annoyed with the way certain players conducted themselves on the ground. Gambhir is said to have told the players that he gave them 6 months to play ‘their way’ but it all stops now. From now onwards those who don’t play according to the plans set by him for the team, will be shown the exit door.
There’s a big conflict in the team at the moment, between what Gambhir decides as the ‘strategy’ for a given situation or match, and what the players go on to do on the pitch.
In the Melbourne Test, Rishabh Pant‘s reckless shot, leading to his dismissal, was cited as the turning point in the game. Even Virat Kohli edged the ball into the hands of a fielder in slips while chasing an 8th stump delivery, yet again in this series.
Skipper Rohit Sharma, after a cautious start to the second innings, gave in to his instincts again and failed to convert his start into a big score. Such acts by Indian players have reportedly gotten on Gambhir’s nerves and the head coach is now ready to take serious actions.
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