Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Mumbai
Sitting in the dugout, Gautam Gambhir tried to remain expressionless as India continued losing wickets during their futile chase of 147 in the third Test against New Zealand. The head coach didn’t betray a lot of emotions when the team slipped to defeats in the first two Tests either. His face remained firm and he was never seen barking at his players during those embarrassing moments.
Known for his feisty nature during his playing days, Gambhir has to take some tough calls soon enough. Or else, he might just find himself at the other end of some stern decisions. The future looks grim. After suffering a 0-3 clean sweep against New Zealand, India are set for another harsh examination over five Tests in Australia. The Test series after that is next summer in England. Gambhir’s future in this role will depend significantly on what happens in those 10 Tests.
To begin with, India under Gambhir have not lived up to the standards the chief coach wants to set. The former opener was clear before the New Zealand series that he prefers a ‘high-risk, high-reward’ philosophy. Risks were taken against New Zealand. Rewards were not forthcoming. The first obvious risk was choosing to bat in overcast conditions in the first Test. Then, it was laying out turning tracks for the second and third games, which backfired spectacularly.
It’s difficult to think that captain Rohit Sharma was singularly responsible for all those decisions. He might have had a big say, but the chief coach couldn’t have been a silent spectator. If he was in disagreement, it was his job to make his point. That’s why he is there. He has not been appointed to keep quiet when he notices something is amiss. That never happened. The odd strange decision is understandable. A series of them suggests flaws in the thought process.
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The first and foremost shortcoming on Gambhir’s CV is his total lack of experience of coaching in the longer formats. His only credibility — at the time of his appointment — was one season of success for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. His predecessor Rahul Dravid was in charge of the India A and India U-19 programmes for years before being made the chief coach of India.
Gambhir’s coaching team is equally inexperienced when it comes to Test cricket. Abhishek Nayar, Rayan ten Doeschate and Morne Morkel have all worked primarily in franchise cricket. The BCCI accepted Gambhir’s wishes by appointing them, even if it meant overlooking coaches groomed through the National Cricket Academy. Gambhir got what he wanted and whom he wanted.
That makes him answerable. There are unconfirmed reports the BCCI will have a chat with Gambhir before the Australia series and ask for certain explanations. Even if that doesn’t happen, questions will be asked. He has been given a free hand and even attended the team selection meeting for the Australia tour. There aren’t many precedents of coaches doing that. As far as results go, it’s been a blank so far if one doesn’t read too much into the win against Bangladesh.
These are early days still, in Gambhir’s tenure as India coach, but this New Zealand defeat has made things much tougher for him than anybody anticipated. Five Tests in Australia and five more in England are looking ominous at the moment. Given the shape of the team, ageing bodies and the lack of satisfactory returns from some illustrious seniors — no one can say with certainty that India will win in Australia and England. The focus, right now, is on avoiding complete embarrassment.
So, it’s needless to say that Gambhir finds himself in an uncomfortable position. This will only get tougher. Each defeat will bring him under the scanner and the situation is such that nobody can say with certainty that this team will start winning immediately. The forecast is more setbacks than anything redeeming. A World Cup winner in two white-ball formats, Gambhir is in for a testing time. How he motivates the team will hold the key to his future in this enviable job, which is looking unenviable at the moment.
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