Tour of Australia: Under-fire coach Gambhir keeps the faith in Big Two

It’s been a tough first four months for Gautam Gambhir, the new Indian head coach, with the 3-0 whitewash at home against New Zealand turning the heat on him and some senior members of the squad ahead of the demanding tour of Australia. While the former Indian opener said he was not feeling ‘any heat’ at the team’s pre-departure media conference on Monday, the stress certainly showed in his demeanour and clipped answers.

As the second batch of the Indian team is set to leave for the five-Test series (the first having left on Sunday) starting in Perth, it did not reflect well on the Indian team management that there was still no confirmation on whether skipper Rohit Sharma would be available for the first Test from 22 November. It’s no longer a secret that Rohit is a doubtful starter in view of the family expecting their second child, but the lack of transparency all round meant Gambhir had no definite answer.

‘’There is no confirmation on Rohit’s availability yet. Hopefully, he will be available, and we will know more before the series begins,’’ Gambhir said in reply to the obvious first question, adding that they have a Plan B ready with the experienced K.L. Rahul and newcomer Abhimanyu Eashwaran taking the opening roles. ‘’Jasprit Bumrah is vice-captain, so if Rohit Sharma is unavailable, he will lead the team,’’ Gambhir said.

The unexpected rout by the Kiwis has, for all practical purposes, put India’s chances of qualifying for their third straight World Test Championship (WTC) final in jeopardy. Nothing short of a 4-0 or 4-1 scoreline in the series will work for them, a prospect which looks rather far-fetched in the current scenario. Gambhir chose to deflect the pressure saying: ‘’To be honest, we are not looking at the WTC final, every series is important to us. The upcoming one will see two good teams in contest and if we can play to our potential, we can beat anyone.’’

The buzz in the media has been that Gambhir is virtually on trial in such a demanding Test series, and should the result be another disappointing one, a section of the BCCI top brass are inclined to usher in a split coaching theory by convincing the likes of a V.V.S. Laxman to take over as Test coach. The prolonged drought of runs from the ‘Big Two’ of Rohit and Virat Kohli has also become a sore point, with neither of them crossing even 100 runs from the three Tests against New Zealand. 

Dismissing any idea that he is under pressure, Gambhir said he was fully aware of the expectations when he took over the reins. ‘’We were outplayed in all three departments of the game by the Kiwis, but we need to move on. There are some incredibly tough characters in this dressing room and everyone knows what they have done for the country. No, there is no talk of transition,’’ said Gambhir, who was virtually coaxed into taking the hot seat once Rahul Dravid’s tenure ended after the T20 World Cup triumph.

One of the few occasions when the famous Gambhir swagger was on view was in reference to former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting questioning the form of Rohit and Virat in his ICC column. The former greats of Australia are often known to wage mental warfare on touring captains and important batters in the past, and Gambhir was quick to counter it: ‘’Let Ponting focus on his own team. The likes of Rohit and Kohli are extremely passionate and work hard. There is already a lot of hunger in that dressing room, especially after what happened in the last series.’’

The second of the five Tests, to be played at the Adelaide Oval from 6-10 December, will be a day-night affair at the same venue where Kohli’s team was shot out for 36 before India bounced back in the series. Asked if the lack of adequate practice with the pink ball could prove a hurdle for India, Gambhir said: ‘’There are about nine days before that Test match, along with a two-day practice game under lights. It’s a new concept and we will embrace it.’’