Dinesh Karthik questions Gambhir's satisfaction with current Indian Test team
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik has questioned Gautam Gambhir's satisfaction with the current Indian Test team. This comes after the team suffered back-to-back series defeats against New Zealand and Australia. Speaking on Cricbuzz, Karthik stressed that as head coach, Gambhir has to plan for the future after these defeats. It must be noted that India have been knocked out from the race of the 2025 World Test Championship final.
Coaching challenges
Gambhir's tenure marked by Test series losses
Under Gambhir's guidance, the Indian Test team lost to New Zealand and Australia. These defeats saw India missing out on the WTC final for the first time ever. Despite these setbacks, Karthik extended support to Gambhir, noting that he took over at a difficult time after Rahul Dravid's successful stint as coach. Gambhir took over from Dravid after India's triumphant 2024 T20 World Cup campaign.
T20 success
Karthik highlights Gambhir's influence in T20 cricket
Karthik emphasized Gambhir's immense success and impact in T20 cricket, especially with youngsters. However, he pointed out that Test cricket has been a tougher nut to crack for Gambhir. Karthik said that Gambhir needs to define his coaching style and get players who fit into his vision for the team. He said, "What is his ideology of how the Test team should look? And are these players fitting in?"
Performance review
BCCI reviews India's performance under Gambhir
On January 11, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) held an extensive review of India's abysmal tour of Australia. Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gambhir were present at the meeting. Although the team's dismal performance was mostly blamed on senior players' form, the board did not take any immediate action on the matter.
Team dynamics
Gambhir's relationship with Rohit Sharma under scrutiny
Gambhir's equation with Rohit Sharma has been a hot topic of discussion amid reports of dressing room unrest. After the loss to Australia, Gambhir had said in a press conference that Rohit and Virat must decide about their future, hinting at a possible change in the team's dynamics. Despite all this, Gambhir has managed to keep an unbeaten record in T20I series under his captaincy.