NO SECRET: Captain Shubman Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir are under scrutiny
In the aftermath of India’s 22-run loss to England in a surcharged Test atmosphere at Lord’s, former cricketers who are now dominating in roles in media and social media have offered their take. Someone like Sunny Gavsakar, who has seen the highs of playing in England as a Test batter in a different era feels India can bounce back and win the last two Tests. It’s great to hear that, though the average cricket fan knows, as a TV commentator on the BCCI panel, Sunny G is not going to say anything negative.
Indeed, the chatter, rather buzz, on social media platforms is on the behaviour of skipper Shubman Gill and how the coach’s role also comes under scrutiny now. Yes, Gautam Gambhir’s face is one of worry and the ‘crease’ on his forehead is one of worry. As the Indian team met King Charles in London on Tuesday, the photos posted were unmissable. While Gill was smiling, Gambhir’s facial contours conveyed an impression, he is worried.
One does not necessarily need to go back to cricket stats search engines and pronounce, in Gambhir’s one-year term as coach, India’s losses in the Test format are shocking as well as worrying. It’s just over a year after Gambhir took over from Rahul Dravid. Strangely, some ‘experts’ have even said, bring back Ravi Shastri. Be it a cricketer from the 70s saying this on X (Twitter), there is no reason to panic and ask Shastri to take over!
Shaz had his run, a good one, where he partnered and forged good times for Indian cricket, first with skipper MS Dhoni and then Virat Kohli. That Shastri is still being remembered fondly is a good sign. When he had taken over as director of cricket operations and then stepped into a role as formal coach, he was the informal boss who meshed well with the blokes.
Sadly, when Sourav Ganguly was the President of the BCCI, it seemed agenda-driven, he had wanted to see the backs of Shastri as well as Kohli, three years back. The same Dada from Kolkata today sings praise of Kohli, but people know, who back-stabbed Kohli. The next phase was Rohit Sharma being named captain and Rahul Dravid taking over as coach. The Wall, as Dravid had earned a name, ensured the transition phase was not boorish or jerky. He was unflappable, just as he was as a champion batter and ensured the results kept coming. Making the ICC Test Championship final was good, under Dravid’s tenure, though losing to Australia was no shame. For the record, under his coaching stint, India made the ODI World Cup final as well in November 2023.
Test cricket still evokes great passion. The way the Aussies smoked out West Indies, a day back, there is panic. The West Indies Cricket Board has gone back to the greats like Clive Lloyd, Vivian Richards and Brian Lara. It is an SOS call for sure. Reasons are simple, people want to see the West Indians do well again.
Likewise, if there is talk that Gambhir is under pressure, and such stories are emanating from London, be sure, there is smoke, if not fire. Public perception on Gambhir as a national coach is very sharp. When he ascended the throne as coach, there was heartburn. GG is not one of those who made it up the ladder from the NCA (now Centre For Excellence), handling India A team and so on. His sudden rise was linked to his political links as well with the BJP. Truth to tell, nobody cares about political connections. A coach’s job is clear, perform, ensure the best comes out from the team or face flak.
The way feathers have been ruffled, resulting in three retirements – R.Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma – one does feel the BCCI was unkind. Perhaps, the interview which BCCI Vice President Rajiv Shukla gave in London on Tuesday has added more spice, wherein he has said, the BCCI never asks cricketers to retire. Please take whatever Shukla says with a pinch of salt. He is one man who has seen more regime changes in the BCCI than anyone else. And yet, despite allegiance to the Congress party, he remains a part of the BCCI, very strongly.
If the BCCI has nothing to do with retirements or being pressed into that stage, the needle of suspicion again points at coach Gambhir and chairman of selection committee Ajit Agarkar. It is no secret, Gambhir made it hostile in Australia which saw R.Ashwin retire and fly back to India. Add to it the way Sarfaraz Khan has been treated and Sai Sudharsan has been ejected from the 11 after one Test in England, there are doubts, the coach and think-tank is not in sync.
Add to it the Shubman Gill factor. For those who say he will learn, he has to do it in quick time. India are 1-2 down in the ongoing series and pressure grows. There is more intrigue, how and why India lost. If sport was so easy where a dissection or post mortem could be conducted and one could find out what went wrong, it would be so easy. No, Gill and Gambhir will share the blame. They work in tandem, or, at least, they are supposed to.
Where was the need for Gill to be indulging in poor behaviour on the cricket field at Lord’s? Gill not only needled the English players, they used that hurt to hit back hard at India. Despite that image of English players consoling Mohd Siraj after he lost his wicket on Monday, it is clear, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer have spoken out about poor behaviour from the Indian captain, albeit subtly.
Gill must understand captaincy is a job which comes with no guarantee in Indian cricket. Fact is, the skipper failed in the third Test. He has to get back into the act. As for Gambhir, records speak for itself, losing a series to New Zealand at home, losing the BGT Series in Australia. If India lost the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Gautam Gambhir will face the music. Just being coach of Team India which won the Champions Trophy in Dubai under the leadership of Rohit Sharma will not suffice.
