Gautam Gambhir has been in headlines ever since India were humiliated 0-3 in the recent Test series against New Zealand at home earlier this month. Ever since the former India opener became the head coach of the national team, Rohit Sharma’s men won three series and lost two. Before the New Zealand series loss, India had lost to Sri Lanka in an bilateral ODI series for the first time in nearly three decades.
Moreover, the loss against New Zealand also jeopardized India’s chances for World Test Championship (WTC) final qualification and also dropped them one spot to second behind Australia in the table. As it stands, India need to win atleast four of their five Tests against Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) to have a direct shot at the summit clash.
While the first batch of the Indian team have already left for Australia on Sunday night, the second batch (mostly consisting of senior players) will fly out soon. The first Test against Australia starts in Perth on November 22.
Gambhir, who is a part of the second batch, addressed the media in Mumbai on Monday morning. Let’s look at 5 key takeaways from Gambhir’s pre-Australia tour presser.
Bumrah to lead India if Rohit’s unavailable
The India head coach confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah will lead India in the first Test against Australia in Perth if regular captain Rohit Sharma is unavailable. There are doubts on Rohit’s availability as it is being rumored that he might miss the first game due to personal reasons.
KL Rahul or Abhimanyu Easwaran?
In case Rohit Sharma is unavailable, either KL Rahul or Abhimanyu Easwaran will accompany Yashasvi Jaiswal for the opener’s slot. Easwaran has not been able to fire against Australia A. He scored 17, 7, 12 and 0 in four innings for India A. Even, Rahul struggled too. The right-hander managed 10 and 4 in the second unofficial Test against Australia A.
Team India not thinking about WTC final
The Indian team isn’t thinking much about the WTC final. “Honestly, we’re not focused on the WTC Final at the moment. Every series is important, and we have two strong teams set to compete,” Gambhir said.
Gambhir ‘not’ feeling the heat
Downplaying the criticisms following India’s loss to New Zealand, Gambhir stated the job of the India head coach is an honour for him. “I am not feeling the heat, it’s absolute honour and privilege to coach India. There are incredible people in the dressing room who have done a great job.” Reports had emerged that Gambhir’s job is under scanner.
Gautam Gambhir takes down Ricky Ponting
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting took a dig at Virat Kohli for being a part of the Indian Test playing XI despite scoring two-three centuries in the last five years. Taking down Ponting, Gambhir said, “What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket? He should think about Australian cricket. I don’t have any concerns. They are incredibly tough men; they’ve achieved a lot for Indian cricket and are going to achieve a lot in future as well.”
“For me the most important thing is that they still work very hard; they are still passionate; they want to achieve a lot more. And that is something which is important. The hunger in the dressing room is invariably important for me and the entire group of people as well. There is a lot of hunger, especially after what has happened in the previous series,” he added.
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