 "Gautam Gambhir Press Conference: 5 takeaways as India coach accepts criticism, discusses BGT plans")
Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed the media during a press-conference in Mumbai on Monday, ahead of the team’s departure to Australia for the all-important five-match Test series Down Under. The Test series will be part of the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, the final of which will take place at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in June 2025.
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Gambhir has come under scrutiny following India’s 0-3 Test series loss to New Zealand at home recently. That defeat, India’s first Test series loss at home in 12 years, led to a six-hour meeting between BCCI secretary Jay Shah, India head coach Gambhir, captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar.
Gambhir was asked quite a few tough question in Monday’s press conference, but the former India opener had bold responses to almost each of those questions. Let’s now take a look at five key takeaways from the press conference:
Gambhir does not give a clear answer on Rohit’s participation in Perth Test
There have been doubts over captain Rohit Sharma’s participation in the first Test against Australia at Perth from 22 November. Rohit could reportedly miss the Perth Test due to personal reasons, but Gambhir did not give any clarity on the Nagpur-born cricketer’s status with regards to participation.
Gambhir, though, did confirm that Jasprit Bumrah will lead the side in the case of Rohit’s absence. “At the moment, there is no confirmation but we will let you know exactly what the situation will be. Hopefully, he’s going to be available, but everything we’re going to get to know at the start of the series,” Gambhir said.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“Bumrah is the vice captain. So obviously he will (captain) if Rohit is not available,” he added.
Gambhir’s epic response to Ponting’s criticism of Kohli
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting had recently criticised Virat Kohli following the latter’s dip in form in Tests. Ponting had said that despite scoring just two or three Test centuries in the last five years, Kohli remains to be a part of the Indian team setup.
Gambhir defended Kohli and Rohit, saying : “What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket? He should think about Australian cricket. I don’t have any concerns. They (Kohli and Rohit) 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,” added Gambhir.
Abhimanyu or Rahul to open
One of the biggest talking points ahead of the first Test is who will open India’s batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal should Rohit miss the first Test. According to Gambhir, Abhimanyu Easwaran and KL Rahul are the most likely candidates. Abhimanyu has enjoyed a fine run of form recently, scoring centuries on the domestic circuit. Rahul’s form, however, is a cause for concern, having scored just 12 runs in the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand and aggregating 14 runs in the unofficial Test for India A against Australia A.
“Obviously there is Abhimanyu Easwaran and there is KL Rahul there. So we will take a call, closer to the first Test match if Rohit is not available. There are options there. It’s not that there are not any options, but there are quite a lot of options in the squad. So once it gets close to the first Test match, we can plan the best playing 11,” said Gambhir.
Thinking of WTC final chances? Not so much, says Gambhir
India have a difficult task in order to qualify for the WTC final next year by themselves. The series defeat to New Zealand means India need to beat Australia 4-0 to qualify for the final directly . Gambhir says that India aren’t thinking about the WTC final just yet.
“Honestly, we’re not focussed on the WTC Final at the moment. Every series is important, and we have two strong teams set to compete," said the 43-year-old.
Gambhir not thinking about transition just yet
Questions have been raised regarding an ageing Team India. Rohit and Kohli aren’t at their best at the moment, and Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja too seem to be struggling. Having said that, these veterans may not play any more Tests at home. However, Gambhir is not ready to talk about transition just yet.
Also Read | Why singling Gautam Gambhir out for Team India's woes is unfair
“I am not thinking about the transition but the five Test matches. Transition or no transition, if that has to happen, will happen but I see some incredibly tough characters in that dressing room who are hungry to do well,” said the former Delhi cricketer.
“You guys can keep talking about the transition and all that stuff. For me, they are still very hungry. I am sure they have got a lot of fire to achieve a lot of success for the nation and you should never doubt their passion for the country,” he added.
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