Team India has not been reading conditions well: Gautam Gambhir
What's the story
India's head coach Gautam Gambhir has admitted that the team has not been performing well since their Ireland tour. The admission comes after India's dismal performance in Trent Bridge, where they were bowled out for just 76 runs, losing their fourth consecutive T20I match. Gambhir stressed on the importance of understanding and adapting to game conditions better, something he feels the team has struggled with lately.
Game understanding
Gambhir's honest assessment of India's struggles
Speaking after England took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the T20I series, Gambhir said, "You don't become a bad team after four games. Sometimes, if the opposition plays better than you... sometimes you don't assess the conditions better, you don't read the conditions better." He stressed that reading the game is as important as playing well and admitted that India hasn't done that since their Ireland tour.
Batting concerns
On India's struggle against pace and bounce
One of the major concerns from India's batting collapse was their struggle against pace and bounce. However, Gambhir downplayed it as an aberration, saying "today was probably one of the off days." He stressed that such things can happen when you play a high-risk kind of game, which is what the team believes in.
Captain's critique
Shreyas Iyer calls loss 'atrocious'
India captain Shreyas Iyer was more critical of the team's performance after a disappointing start to his captaincy. He called the loss "atrocious" and said, "Losing by such a big margin is definitely not acceptable." Iyer stressed that they need to accept this loss and go back to the drawing board, admitting that losing four wickets in the Powerplay created momentum for England's victory.
Team transition
Gambhir on changes in Team India
Gambhir also highlighted the changes in the T20 team since their World Cup victory. He said, "If you see, there have been changes to this T20 team. When you go to reset your T20 side, then many times you get such performances." The coach stressed that these changes take time and results are important at this level but practicality is equally important for things to return to normalcy.
Strategy adjustment
Coach calls for situation-based recalibration of batting plans
Gambhir called for a situation-based recalibration of batting plans, something they had to address even during their successful run at the World Cup. He said, "Sometimes, one side, where the dimensions are much bigger than the other side, that is important as well." The coach stressed that these small things can make a huge difference in a T20 game and suggested experienced players need to adapt and play according to the situation.