India had just won the final ODI in Vizag and had also taken the series 2–1. It was another white-ball series win under Gautam Gambhir, and yet he was subjected to serious abuse on social media. Sample this: “India is winning despite Gambhir, not because of him,” said a viewer on our show. “Gambhir has no role,” he went on to suggest. This viewer isn’t alone. There are many like him, and the narrative is that Gambhir isn’t doing the job expected of him.
The truth is that in white-ball cricket, he has done a fine job. If India is winning despite him, as the viewer suggests, then by the same logic, India’s losses in red-ball cricket also cannot be ascribed to him. Trolls notwithstanding, Gautam’s ledger in white-ball cricket is excellent. He has forged a strong team, and even without Jasprit Bumrah and Shubman Gill—two key players—India had no trouble winning the series at a canter. Also, one has to keep in mind that India lost the toss on two of the three occasions and yet remained competitive till the very end of the second game. Had KL Rahul won those tosses, it could well have been a whitewash.
Unlike in red-ball cricket, where the South Africa series went downhill after Gill’s injury, in white-ball cricket, India isn’t dependent on any one player. That’s the fundamental difference between the two formats. While I accept Gautam’s argument that Gill’s presence could have—or would have—won India the Eden Test, it is also important to state that even without Gill, India should have won chasing 124. The other batters should have done the job, just as they often do in white-ball cricket.
In the recently concluded series, playing Ruturaj Gaikwad at No. 4 was an excellent call from the management. With Rishabh Pant and Tilak Varma both in the team, Gautam could easily have chosen either of them over Gaikwad. He did not. Pushing Gaikwad into a relatively new role and persisting with him shows innovation, and just as critics target him for playing Nitish Reddy in red-ball cricket, he deserves to be praised for the Gaikwad experiment in white-ball cricket.
In the next few months, all India will play is white-ball cricket. With the T20 World Cup less than two months away, this is Gautam’s opportunity to answer his critics. He has the team to do so and also has the track record in the format to win the dressing room. Few would bet against India in T20 cricket at the moment, and Gautam deserves credit for that.
Much like Ravi Shastri, Gautam is currently social media’s favourite target. During his time as head coach, Shastri was never given his due; now, people say he did a fine job in red-ball cricket. Gautam may end up being a similar case. His feisty persona and no-nonsense attitude—which can come across as rude or combative—have always polarised opinion. But knowing Gautam, he won’t care. As long as his boys win him the T20 World Cup and continue to win consistently, nothing else will matter to him.
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