Former India cricketer Suresh Raina defended India coach Gautam Gambhir, saying it’s unfair guilty his former teammate for India’s struggles in Take a look at cricket. Raina stated it’s the batters’ duty to attain runs, including {that a} coach’s function is just to assist them prepare and information the staff in several situations.
Fairly a couple of on social media have urged the BCCI to sack Gautam Gambhir as India’s Take a look at coach whilst India are in peril of being whitewashed in a Take a look at sequence at residence for the second time in as a few years. After New Zealand blanked India 3-0 final 12 months and scripted historical past by changing into the primary visiting staff to take action on Indian soil, South Africa are on the verge of finishing a 2-0 whitewash.
After successful the sequence opener in Kolkata by 30 runs in a low-scoring affair, world Take a look at champions South Africa moved right into a place of power on the penultimate day of the second Take a look at in Guwahati. South Africa posted 489 of their first innings and bowled India out for 201. With a 288-run lead of their bag, South Africa opted in opposition to imposing the follow-on and batted once more. They declared at 260 for five, setting India a goal of 547 runs.
Whereas India have been outbowled by the South African bowlers within the first Take a look at, the batters’ incapability to outlive high quality spells of spin was uncovered. Within the second Take a look at, the Indian batsmen lacked the persistence to grind it out on batting pitch. Whereas South Africa batted for greater than 100 overs within the first innings, India lasted a bit of over 80 overs and have been bowled out for simply 201, with tail-ender Kuldeep Yadav dealing with probably the most deliveries — 134 balls.
“Gauti bhaiya (Gautam Gambhir) has labored actually exhausting and he isn’t in any respect at fault. The gamers must work actually exhausting and play effectively. Below him we’ve got been doing nice within the white-ball format the place we simply received the ICC Champions Trophy and Asia Cup in Dubai earlier this 12 months,” Raina instructed the PTI information company on Tuesday, November 23.
“The gamers have to attain, the coach can solely information, advise and provides help to the gamers,” he added.
“I’ve performed with Gautam bhaiya, he loves Indian cricket staff, he loves cricket. I’ve performed and received the World Cup with him. So, he has carried out very well for the nation and it’s the gamers’ duty to do effectively,” he added.
The weapons have been skilled on Gautam Gambhir as fairly a couple of identified the obtrusive choice inconsistencies and the dearth of imaginative and prescient for the Take a look at staff. Below Gambhir, India have misplaced 4 of their final six Assessments at residence. India have received solely three out of 10 abroad Assessments within the ongoing cycle, dropping 1-3 in Australia and managing a 2-2 attract England.
Whereas Raina believes the coach will not be answerable for the batting failures, many have highlighted the dearth of a constant run for batters below Gambhir’s tenure. India has struggled to establish a No. 3 batterand the likes of Karun Nair and Sarfaraz Khan, who’ve been heavy run-getters in home cricket, haven’t been given an extended rope.
Gambhir’s desire for all-rounders within the Take a look at facet has additionally come below scrutiny, with legendary Sunil Gavaskar urging the staff administration to know the distinction between all-rounders in limited-overs and Take a look at cricket.
RAINA CALLS FOR BETTER PREPARATION
Raina, nevertheless, acknowledged that India want to organize higher for the Take a look at sequence at residence.
“Additionally the planning of the sequence could be higher as a result of it’s a must to shortly swap codecs from white ball and immediately you might be enjoying red-ball cricket once more, so the gamers I consider have much less time in hand,” he stated.
“The gamers also needs to enhance their software within the center, I hope all that is getting observed,” he stated.
Whereas New Zealand visited India after enjoying a Take a look at sequence in Sri Lanka final 12 months, South Africa got here to India after drawing a Take a look at sequence 1-1 in Pakistan. India, however, had lower than per week between their T20I sequence in Australia and the house Take a look at sequence in opposition to the world Take a look at champions.
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