The Indian cricket team is on the verge of losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since 2014 as the Aussies have taken the lead by 2-1 and considering the manner in which the Indian team is currently playing, it will be a very difficult task for them to win the Sydney test match.
The Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir has reportedly expressed frustration with team India following their batting collapse in the second innings of the Melbourne Test, which resulted in a 184-run loss to Australia. Gambhir is said to have warned the players that failing to adhere to his strategies could lead to their exclusion from the team.
According to a leading publication, while Gambhir didn’t single out any individual, he criticised the squad for sticking to their “natural game” instead of adapting to the match situation. The alleged dressing room outburst, during which Gambhir reportedly said, “I’ve had enough (Bahut ho gaya),” occurred on Monday after India suffered their second defeat of the series.
The leaked details of Gambhir’s speech have sparked reactions, with former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan suggesting that such discussions should remain confidential.
Irfan Pathan took to X and tweeted, “What happens in the dressing room, should stay in the dressing room!”
https://x.com/IrfanPathan/status/1874339653798813807
Gambhir has also reportedly decided to take charge of the team’s strategy, moving away from the previous approach of granting players the freedom to make decisions.
Before the Australia tour, Gambhir reportedly requested the inclusion of out-of-favor batter Cheteshwar Pujara in the squad but his request was declined by Ajit Agarkar led selection panel. Pujara, a veteran of 103 Tests, had been instrumental in India’s back-to-back series wins in Australia in recent years.
Additionally, reports suggest that by the time Rohit Sharma arrived in Australia for the second Test, a couple of Indian players had expressed interest in Test captaincy. One senior player reportedly offered to take on the interim role, citing concerns about younger players not being ready for leadership responsibilities.
Things don’t look good for the Indian team, whether it is on-the-field or in dressing room, let’s hope the management deals with the situations in a prompt manner.
