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Gautam Gambhir’s position as India head coach is reportedly under close scrutiny after a spate of poor shows.
India have lost five of their last seven Tests under Gautam Gambhir. (BCCI Photo)
India’s latest defeat on their ongoing Australia tour seems to have opened a can of worms with media reports claiming there’s tension between head coach Gautam Gambhir and a few players. The not-so-junior players in the India squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy are seeking clarity on why they’ve been dropped at times from the playing XI.
According to news agency PTI, the clear communication between the team management and the players seems to have taken a hit ever since Gambhir’s arrival as the head coach, something which wasn’t the case when Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid were in charge.
India have lost five of their last seven Tests and their chances of qualifying for the final if the World Test Championship are hanging by a thread. They are now in a must-win situation in the fifth and final Test against Australia in Sydney.
A BCCI source claims that if the team’s performance doesn’t change for good, it’s likely that Gambhir’s position will be reviewed.
“There is a Test match to be played and then there is Champions Trophy. If the performance doesn’t improve, even Gautam Gambhir’s position wouldn’t be safe,” a senior BCCI official was quoted as saying by PTI.
The official also claimed that the board wanted batting legend VVS Laxman to succeed Dravid as the head coach and Gambhir was a “compromise”.
“He (Gambhir) was never BCCI’s first choice (it was VVS Laxman) and some of the well-known overseas names didn’t want to coach all three formats, so he was a compromise. Obviously, some other compulsions were also there,” the official said.
Gambhir’s support staff is also under scrutiny as one of its members is being accompanied by a personal assistant at all venues.
The person in question is said to have enjoyed “Field Of Play” access during the IPL that allowed him access to the playing arena after games in franchise jersey.
The BCCI members aren’t happy with the person’s presence in the box dedicated to them in Australia.
India trail Australia 1-2 in the five-match series and must win the Sydney Test to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. If they lose, then not only Australia win the trophy for the first time since 2014-15 but also qualify for the WTC final.
South Africa have already made it to the title clash for the first time in history.
- Location :
Melbourne (Australia)
