We did a show at 5pm yesterday where, among other things, we discussed fandom in India and how it is mostly toxic. This was because the ‘questions’ that were being asked, and there were hundreds of them, ranged from “sack Gautam Gambhir” to “Shubman Gill is useless”.
One person, and there is no point naming them here, messaged 93 times asking the same thing. “Why did you not ask tough questions of Gautam Gambhir?”
There is no two ways about it that Gambhir has a poor record as head coach of the Test side. India have lost 7 of the last 9 Test matches under . It is also true that some of his calls haven’t been the best.
Gill, on the other hand, just captained his first game here in Leeds and will surely need more time. And yet, he was compared to Virat Kohli and castigated. That’s what the issue is. The truth is Gambhir was asked all the right questions. He was asked about the batting collapse and the inability to pick up 20 wickets. He was asked about Shardul Thakur and dropped catches and, finally, about team selection. At the end of the first Test match, that’s what you can or should do. For these trolls, however, this isn’t enough. They want action, and perhaps needed someone to push Gambhir off his chair!
We at RevSportz are very clear about what we want to do or will do. We will ask all the right questions. We will question team selection and, of course, we will call out poor performances. Shardul and Prasidh Krishna, for example, were both below-par in Leeds. Prasidh, who can bowl some fantastic balls, has to improve his body language and be more consistent, something that Gambhir said at the post-match press conference.
Also Read: England v India: Attacking instincts should be India’s mantra going forward in the series
We will question why, in both innings, the tail threw their wickets away. That’s our job and we will do it. But at the same time, we will not abandon the team. We will not turn sensationalist and abusive. That line will not be crossed. For us, it is not about numbers at any cost. Others who are abusive over the next few days will get a lot more numbers. That is because many fans are angry, and want to hear negative comments aimed at the players.
To feed off this constituency is easy. To go against the grain of this narrative and back the team is tough. And that’s what we will be doing. We will continue to back the team, come what may. On a tour, the media is also an extension of the team and while it has its own job to do, it is essential that we stand by Gill at the time he needs it the most.
I know a lot of these trolls will come here and say “Yeh dekho, PR chalu ho gaya [Look, the PR has started].” Whose PR? And why? Gill or Gambhir doesn’t pay me to run RevSportz. Never have, and never will. RevSportz has 9 people in the UK and is now one of India’s go-to sports platforms. It has happened this way not because we do PR. Rather, we do the real story, with critical insights and empathy.
I would urge you all to be with us on this journey to make a difference to Indian sport. Follow the tour with us and ask the right questions. Debate and discuss, but don’t be abusive. Make a difference to the sport, and the coverage. It is a journey that will never be black and white, and it is essential that we enjoy the grey as much.
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