Disappointed the way critics went after Kohli: Gautam Gambhir
Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir slammed the critics for targeting Team India after the completion of New Zealand tour. The southpaw stated that he was disappointed with the way media reacted on India's defeat. Having won the T20I series 5-0, India were routed 0-3 and 0-2 in the ODI and Test series respectively by hosts New Zealand. Here is what Gambhir said.
India had a forgettable outing in the whites as they were completely outplayed in the two-match Test series. The Kohli-led side crossed the 200-run mark only once in the series. "I was once again disappointed by the way critics went after Virat Kohli and his men after the 2-0 Test series loss against New Zealand," Gambhir's column for The Times of India read.
Gambhir expressed his disappointment on how the critics made Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah the scapegoats following the series. Kohli averaged 9.50 in the Test series, while the latter could only claim six scalps. "Everything was questioned. Selection choices, the atmosphere in the dressing room, Jasprit Bumrah's sharpness, or the lack of it, and even Virat Kohli's eyesight," he added.
Kohli's score in the New Zealand tour read as- 45, 11, 38, 11, 51, 15, 9, 19, 2, 14, and 3. This was only the second time when he didn't cross the 20-run mark even once in a Test series (two or more Tests).
According to Gambhir, India's batting line-up failed to handle the pressure of overseas conditions in the absence of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. "In the absence of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, the dependency on Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane was way too much. In the end, the conditions proved way too challenging," he said.
India missed the services of Ishant Sharma in the second Test as he was ruled out due to ankle injury. Gambhir believes this left a huge void in India's bowling attack. "Our bowling department was well-served especially with Ishant Sharma returning, though, unfortunately, he ended up getting injured," Gambhir said. He added, "If anything, I was disappointed to see them playing with four bowlers."
