Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has expressed his belief that head coach Gautam Gambhir’s past aggressive behavior stems from a desire to protect his players. Karthik believes this approach will benefit the team, emphasizing that Gambhir does not display anger unnecessarily.
“His aggression has generally come out in protection of his players and that is something the current lot of players will enjoy. Knowing him, he is not someone who gets angry for the heck of it,” Karthik told reporters on the sidelines of a Legends League Cricket event.
Karthik also acknowledged Gambhir’s inexperience in coaching Test cricket, which may be a concern as he prepares for his first assignment with the series against Bangladesh in Chennai on Thursday.
“He has been a part of numerous T20 tournaments. But this Test series will be completely new for him as a coach and it must be playing at the back of his mind,” Karthik said.
However, Karthik expressed confidence in Gambhir’s ability to navigate the challenges of Test cricket.
“He is someone who has navigated through tough waters. He’s got the acumen to understand the pulse of the game, which is extremely important as a coach,” Karthik said.
Karthik also spoke about India’s upcoming series against Bangladesh, highlighting the challenges for both teams. He noted Bangladesh’s recent success against Pakistan but pointed out the difficulties of playing against the Indian team at home.
“It will start with a lot of confidence from Bangladesh. (For India) it’s about understanding that they are playing a slightly different Bangladesh team,” he said.
“But, India in India is a different kettle of fish to beat. It’s not going to be in any way as easy as compared to going outside and beating other countries in their backyard,” he said.
He also discussed the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, predicting a tough competition.
“The BGT will be a challenge for Team India. The current Australian team is in form and (is) a pretty well-oiled unit. It’s not by chance that they won the World Test Championship,” he said.
“It will be tough for India. But considering the grit and resilience that India has, it will be a wonderful series to watch,” he added.
