The Indians seem unsure about a lot of aspects around their Test side.
Out of all the most difficult jobs in the world, being Gautam Gambhir right now tops the list! The Indian head coach has been at the receiving end of some fierce criticism from the Indian fans after the team’s recent performance in the two-match Test series against South Africa. After losing the opener in Kolkata, the hosts have their backs against the wall in the second IND vs SA Test.
Though it would be difficult to put a finger on one aspect so as to what went wrong, the fact that the Indian side has looked completely different than hat it used to at home cannot be overlooked too. The hosts have not been able to put up any fight against the might of the Proteas, who are in a position to call all the shots in the second Test at Guwahati.
That being said, former teammate Suresh Raina has shown his support to Gautam Gambhir, while speaking in an interview recently. Raina expressed that the fact that India are in this dismal position in Test cricket at home has got very little to do with Gautam Gambhir and more to do with the way the players have chosen to play the game.
“Gauti bhaiya (Gautam Gambhir) has worked really hard and he is not at all at fault. The players have to work really hard and play well. The players have to score. The coach can only guide, advise and give support to the players”, said Suresh Raina while defending Gautam Gambhir.
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How India have found themselves in this muddle is a question that is a lot more complex than just labelling it our as the players’ or coach’s fault. There has been too much chopping and changing to the Indian line-up in recent times, which has reduced the clarity in the minds of the players, so as to what their role actually is expected to be.
Washington Sundar, who was sent out to bat at No.3 in the first Test in Kolkata, was dropped down at No.8 in the second Test. His performance in the first Test was magnificent considering the sudden change in batting positions. However, the all-rounder from Tamil Nadu has been shuffling across the batting order very frequently. To add to that, the Indians have not send the same batter at No.3 on more than three occasions consecutively in the last 19 Tests, barring one instance across series.
All said and done, these factors indicate that something needs to change. The role of Nitish Reddy remains to be one of the most-asked questions in recent times. The favouring of all-rounders over specialists has been an issue for the team, which has caused multiple problems including the constant swapping in batting orders.
Suresh Raina though, seems to be looking at this from a completely different perspective. The former all-rounder has come out in support of his World Cup winning teammate, and urged the players in the team to maintain direct communication and clarity. To top it all, Raina does not think that Gambhir is anywhere near to being sacked as the Test coach of the Indian side.
“If they are facing any issues, they should be communicating to the coach that this is the issue. If the players do well, then the coach will also be applauded. But if the team is not doing well, it should not happen that the coach should be sacked from his position”, stated Raina in the interview.
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