Controversial strategies mark Gautam Gambhir's tenure as India's coach
India's cricket team, under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir, has had a rollercoaster ride over the past year. The team has shown promising signs in white-ball cricket, but the longer format has presented more challenges.
The team's journey began with a white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, where they managed to win the T20Is 2-0, but lost the ODIs 0-2. This was followed by a T20I series win against South Africa before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, the team struggled with inconsistent performances during the series, ultimately losing 3-1.
A highlight of the year was India's win at The Oval, resulting in a drawn Test series against England. This was a significant victory, given the team's struggles with team combinations during the tour of Australia in the BGT. The approach to the No.3 spot in the England series raised questions, with frequent changes between debutant Sai Sudharsan and the returning Karun Nair.
One of Gambhir's main successes has been player-centric, such as recalling Varun Chakravarthy and Washington Sundar to the national set-up. Chakravarthy made his ODI debut during the series against England, while Bumrah broke down midway through the Sydney Test and did not participate in the second innings, missing the rest of the series until late April.
Anshul Kamboj was flown in to replace injured players during the England series, making his debut at Old Trafford. Shardul Thakur gave India runs in one innings out of four, but was strangely underbowled, seemingly not trusted by his captain.
India's talent pool is deeper in white-ball cricket than in Test cricket, and considerably deeper than any other team in the world. However, managing this talent pool for the longer format has been a challenge. The team struggled with team combinations during the tour of Australia, resulting in inconsistent performances.
Gambhir has been praised for backing young talent and installing a new, young captain Shubman Gill. After the drawn series against England, Gambhir hailed the team's overall performance and individual contributions, especially praising player performances like that of pacer Siraj and captain Shubman Gill.
Despite these on-field struggles, Gambhir has faced criticism for his conservative strategy in Tests, prioritizing not losing over aggressively seeking 20 wickets for victory. His contract with the team runs until the 2027 ODI World Cup, but the truest test of his credentials remains in the longest format, where India have struggled tactically so far.
The biggest challenge for Gambhir will come in managing what are likely to be the final years of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's international careers. As long as the team continues to come, Gambhir's job is unlikely to be in any danger. But if India want consistent improvement, there needs to be a more critical eye on the processes that go on behind the scenes.
The first task for Gambhir and India will be to avoid a repeat of the New Zealand series in the upcoming home Tests. The second task will be to establish a pecking order of quicks for the Test team, to develop a reliable talent pool beyond Siraj and Bumrah. The Asia Cup and the Champions Trophy will provide opportunities for the team to showcase their progress.
As Gambhir completes one year as head coach, the team's focus will be on the Asia Cup, Champions Trophy, and the drawn Test series in England with a transitional side. In just over a year in charge, these results would be a solid set of results to put against Gambhir's name. The team's performance in the upcoming tournaments and series will be crucial in determining Gambhir's future as head coach.
[1] [https://www.espncricinfo.com/story//id/30801469/gautam-gambhir-coach-india-record-15-tests-5-wins-8-losses-2-draws] [2] [https://www.espncricinfo.com/story//id/30801469/gautam-gambhir-coach-india-record-15-tests-5-wins-8-losses-2-draws] [3] [https://www.espncricinfo.com/story//id/30801469/gautam-gambhir-coach-india-record-15-tests-5-wins-8-losses-2-draws] [4] [https://www.espncricinfo.com/story//id/30801469/gautam-gambhir-coach-india-record-15-tests-5-wins-8-losses-2-draws] [5] [https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/30801469/gautam-gambhir-coach-india-record-15-tests-5-wins-8-losses-2-draws]
Domestic cricket is a platform where India's cricket team could refine their strategies for the longer format, especially with the upcoming home Tests, as managing a reliable talent pool beyond established players like Siraj and Bumrah is crucial. Incorporating sports psychology and team cohesion exercises into domestic cricket could enable players to handle the pressure better, leading to improved performances.
Players like Shubman Gill, who have shown potential in white-ball cricket, could benefit from building on their skills in the domestic scene before transitioning to the Test arena, ensuring a steady supply of talented players for India's sports success.
