Gambhir, ever since taking office, has registered a few unwanted records.
Ahead of the five-match Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull has issued a strong caution to India coach Gautam Gambhir.
Gambhir, ever since taking office, has registered a few unwanted records. Amongst those have been a 0-2 ODI series loss to Sri Lanka and the results reached a new low after suffering a recent 0-3 Test whitewash against New Zealand.
In the process, the Men in Blue failed to maintain their unbeaten record at Tests at home since 2012 and also conceded their first-ever whitewash in their own backyard (3 or more Tests).
Following the shambolic loss, Gautam Gambhir and his support team also reportedly went through a review under the Indian Board (BCCI) with a probable timeline given till the end of BGT to turn around results.
Echoing on the same lines, Doull said on Sky Sports Cricket,
“But it’s a tough ask, and its a huge series coming up. He’s never going to be friendly with the media, but if he embraced it a little more, he could end up having a bit of a cult following. But not sure he’s going down that road. And if he doesn’t get the results in Australia, or its a 4-1 or 5-0, I don’t know if his job continues.”
For perspective, Doull also hinted that Gambhir’s term can last shorter that that of Greg Chappell. Doull referred to the previous infamous stint by former Australian cricketer Greg Chappell as Team India’s head coach from 2005 to 2007. The two-year tenure was marred by several controversies, most notably a prolonged dispute with captain Sourav Ganguly. It concluded on a disappointing note when Team India was eliminated in the group stages of the 2007 ODI World Cup.
Gambhir’s present contract extends until the conclusion of the 2027 ODI World Cup. While there were speculations about the possibility of split coaching, these discussions have subsided for the time being.
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