India’s recent home Test series loss to New Zealand has raised concerns about the future of head coach Gautam Gambhir. The team’s first home Test series defeat in 12 years, and their first-ever clean sweep in a 3-match series, has brought Gambhir’s coaching decisions under scrutiny.
One of the key factors contributing to India’s downfall was Gambhir’s insistence on preparing rank-turners for the Pune and Mumbai Tests. This decision has been criticized by former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali, who believes it was a mistake to abandon the approach of Gambhir’s predecessor, Rahul Dravid.
Ali praised Dravid’s coaching philosophy, which involved preparing pitches that would turn on the last couple of days. In contrast, Gambhir’s pitches have allowed even part-time spinners to extract significant turn from the first day.
Ali also questioned Gambhir’s understanding of player psychology. He believes that Gambhir’s aggressive approach, which encourages batsmen to play T10 and T20 style in Test cricket, is unfair to players like Virat Kohli.
Gambhir’s coaching philosophy and the performances of veterans like Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be crucial to India’s success in their upcoming tour of Australia. The team faces a daunting task in the 5-Test series, and Gambhir’s ability to guide them through the challenges will be tested.
