India’s rising troubles in Check cricket have as soon as once more come below the highlight in the course of the ongoing second Check in opposition to South Africa in Guwahati, the place the hosts have struggled each with the bat and when it comes to readability in method. As criticism continues to mount on head coach Gautam Gambhir for the staff’s latest slide in red-ball cricket, former India all-rounder Suresh Raina has emerged in his defence, insisting the duty finally lies with the gamers, not the coach.
With India looking at one other troublesome outcome on residence soil and questions being raised about choice calls, staff steadiness and the general path below Gambhir, Raina addressed the rising debate in an unique dialog with India At this time, whereas additionally pointing to a scarcity of self-belief within the present facet.
IND vs SA, 2nd Check Day 4 Highlights , rating card
“I do not suppose that is the problem. The coach is doing his job. A yr in the past, the staff received the Champions Trophy. Earlier than that, there was a protracted drought, then a World Cup was received within the USA, and lately one other ICC trophy has come as effectively,” Raina mentioned.
“We’re speaking a couple of two-time World Cup winner as a coach, somebody who carried out in finals and has performed throughout all codecs. The coach can information the gamers, however ultimately, it’s the gamers who should go on the market and rating runs. They should dig in and discover methods to make runs,” he added.
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India missing self-belief: Raina
Turning his consideration to India’s on-field shortcomings, Raina pointed in the direction of a visual dip in confidence and self-belief inside the batting unit, one thing he feels is now affecting their capability to deal with strain conditions.
“I really feel there’s a slight lack of perception in the intervening time. In our time, even after we had been down in a collection, we all the time believed we might come again. Proper now, it relies upon so much on how the gamers are constructing partnerships and the way significantly they take the batting half,” Raina defined.
Raina then supplied an answer, stressing the necessity for extra match apply and a stronger grassroots reference to the home circuit.
“The answer is straightforward: extra match apply. We’d like extra camps, like earlier instances. Gamers have to play extra first-class cricket. Take a look at Ajinkya Rahane — he’s doing effectively due to home cricket. Pujara used to return and rating double and triple tons of in first-class cricket too. That builds each confidence and rhythm. That perception is completely essential.”
India’s alarming Check droop
Raina’s remarks got here after South Africa declared their second innings at 260 for five, setting India a frightening 549-run goal in Guwahati. In response, the hosts as soon as once more faltered on the high, slumping to 27 for two by stumps on Day 4, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul dismissed early. The identical floor that appeared comfy for South Africa’s batters all of the sudden seemed far more difficult when India took guard, exposing each technical uncertainty and a scarcity of composure on the crease.
Since Gambhir took cost, India have struggled for consistency in Exams, failing to construct lengthy partnerships, shuffling their combos often and inserting heavy reliance on all-rounders on the expense of specialist batters. The batting unit has did not cross the 300-run mark in repeated innings, a stark distinction to the dominance India as soon as loved at residence.
Beneath Gambhir’s tenure as head coach, India’s Check report has come below rising scrutiny. In roughly 18 matches, the facet has managed solely seven wins in opposition to 9 defeats, a return that marks a pointy dip from their common requirements. The struggles have been much more obvious at residence, the place India have misplaced 4 of their eight Exams, together with a surprising 3-0 whitewash by the hands of New Zealand. That droop was briefly checked by a 2–0 collection win over the West Indies, however a heavy loss within the Guwahati Check might now depart India staring on the prospect of yet one more embarrassing residence whitewash in opposition to South Africa.
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