Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as head coach of the Indian cricket team began with a promising 3-0 whitewash of Sri Lanka in the T20Is. However, the team suffered a setback in the subsequent 50-over format, losing the three-match series 2-0.
The conditions in the one-dayers were challenging, with spin-friendly surfaces making batting progressively difficult. While some argue that such pitches are outliers and should not be overanalyzed, the reverses in the ODIs may serve as a timely wake-up call for the team management.
Gambhir’s vision for the team emphasizes the development of all-rounders and the ability of batters to bowl. Players like Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma have been given opportunities to roll their arms over. In last year’s 50-over World Cup, India’s lack of genuine all-rounders, aside from Ravindra Jadeja, left them with a long tail. In this series, India’s batting depth extended to eight and even nine in the final one-dayer, with the inclusion of all-rounders Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, and Riyan Parag.
Another notable aspect of the tour was the preference for having a left-handed and right-handed batter in the middle as much as possible. However, it remains to be seen whether this strategy will be maintained in the future.
Individually, Washington and Parag impressed with their bowling. Parag was effective in the T20s and on his one-day debut, mixing his off- and leg-breaks well. Washington, the Player-of-the-Series in Zimbabwe, continued his fine form, providing vital breakthroughs in the one-dayers.
Shivam Dube was given a sustained run in this series to assess his potential as a backup for Hardik Pandya. While his bowling was decent, his inability to close out games with the bat was a disappointment. Known for his ability to hit spinners, Dube failed to do so in the challenging conditions.
Rishabh Pant’s return to the one-day set-up in the final game came two years after his life-threatening accident but lasted only nine deliveries. For now, it seems that K.L. Rahul, who has been impressive as a middle-order batter in recent years, will continue to don the wicketkeeping gloves.
A major concern for the coaching staff is the team’s inability to find a reliable third seamer. Arshdeep Singh was unimpressive in the two games, and the team could not try out Khaleel Ahmed or Harshit Rana.
India would have wanted to shore up its resources for a few slots in an otherwise settled one-day set-up. The results, though, were mixed, and management will have plenty to ponder in the near future.
