Ex-KKR Star Slams Gautam Gambhir's Critics: 'Narratives Change Faster Than...'
Manvinder Bisla criticized social media fans for ignoring Gautam Gambhir's role in India's success in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, despite his contribution to the Edgbaston win.
Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) player Manvinder Bisla has called out the hypocrisy of social media fans over head coach Gautam Gambhir's contribution to India's success in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Pointing at how Gambhir was criticized for India's loss at Headingley but not praised for the Edgbaston win, he said narratives were changing 'faster than the scorecard', and urged critics to include him in credits.
Gambhir stuck to the batting-depth-first formula at Headingley, despite it not working in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India again lacked support for Jasprit Bumrah as all-rounder Shardul Thakur wasn't used much while failing with the bat and succumbed to a five-wicket loss. Despite calls to include a wicket-taker in Kuldeep Yadav, the team doubled down on the plan and dropped specialist batter Sai Sudharsan as well.
The Edgbaston 11, with three pacers and two all-rounders, performed better than their English counterparts, with Akash Deep taking ten wickets and Mohammed Siraj seven. The batters contributed heavily to set up the win earlier, with Shubman Gill smashing 269 and 162 in the two innings. It ended in a 336-run win.
'Before the Test: @GautamGambhir messed up the XI. After the win: @ShubmanGill era begins. Narratives change faster than the scorecard. PS: Both are leaders — credit goes to whole team for this famous win. 🔥🇮🇳 #INDvsENGTest #famouswin #TeamIndia"
Bisla played under Gambhir's captaincy and KKR, between 2011-2014, scoring 89 off 48 balls against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the final of the 2012 IPL to guide them to a 5-wicket win.
Gambhir has been under pressure ever since taking the job after winning IPL 2024 as KKR's mentor. Under him, India won a home series against Bangladesh but went on to lose the next two against New Zealand at home and Australia away, with the former being a humiliating first whitewash.
Gill, meanwhile, is the fifth youngest captain in India's Test history, filling not only the big shoes of Rohit Sharma but also Virat Kohli at number four. The remaining three Tests, starting at Lord's on Thursday, could determine where this new era of Indian cricket is headed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
17 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Harris English's caddie denied U.K. visa due to past drug arrest
Harris English may have to face the next two critical tournaments in the United Kingdom without his caddie, Eric Larson, whose decades-old prison sentence has proven a tough hurdle to overcome amid new travel regulations for Americans visiting the U.K. HT Image While Harris is in the U.K. for the next two weeks for the Scottish Open and the Open Championship in a bid to play in the Ryder Cup, Larson has been stuck trying to get an exemption to the new Electronic Travel Authority visa rules, which can refuse entry if an applicant has served 12 months or more in prison. Larson spent 10 years and three months in prison before being released from a halfway house in June 2006 after pleading guilty to sending friends cocaine. He was reportedly not a drug user or big-time dealer. After his release, Larson worked for Mark Calcavecchia, who reportedly helped him get back on his feet. Larson has since caddied for Anthony Kim in 2008, Jeff Overton in 2010 and English for the last eight years, including the last four years with English at The Open Championship. English, who only learned of Larson's plight three weeks ago, has been working hard to help Larson earn passage to the U.K., including reaching out to Warren Stephens, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.K. "It's just a matter of the right people seeing it," English said. "I didn't understand how complicated the process was. Someone could see this guy had something in his past 30 years ago, he's been fine the last 20. How long does this stay with him?" In the meantime, English, who is No. 19 in the world and 10th in the U.S. standings for the Ryder Cup, had been using caddie Joe Etter, who currently works for Davis Thompson who is not playing in the Scottish Open. However, Etter will be needed in Northern Ireland with Thompson nabbing the final spot in the field for the Open Championship next week at Royal Portrush. "Joe was my Plan B," English said. "Now we're going to have to get a new Plan B." English is still holding out hope that Larson will somehow be able to make it to the U.K. given the effort by multiple outlets to vouch for Larson's credibility. "They wrote a letter. The R&A wrote a letter. The PGA Tour wrote a letter. A charity event Eric works for in the States wrote a letter. It's not for a lack of effort," English said. "I think it could be sitting on someone's desk at the government somewhere." Field Level Media This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Akash Deep Channels Grief Into Greatness And Helps India Create History At Edgbaston
Last Updated: Akash Deep's 10-wicket haul helped India to a record 336-run victory over England in Jasprit Bumrah's absence. India's loss in the first Test against England in Leeds had put the team's bowling unit under the scanner. Jasprit Bumrah & Co. failed to pick all 10 English wickets in the second innings, letting the hosts chase down a daunting 371-run target with relative ease. As the team geared up for the next battle in Birmingham, things looked far from promising. Bumrah, the pace spearhead, sat out of the match due to workload management. The big question loomed – how would India win in his absence when they couldn't manage it with him in the XI? Who would have imagined that a group of young cricketers would script a historic win on English soil – and that too without its stalwarts? But on Sunday, Shubman Gill's Team India answered that question emphatically. They crushed England by 336 runs to level the series 1-1 and register a first-ever Test win at Edgbaston. More significantly, India discovered a way to win without Bumrah, and at the heart of that triumph was Akash Deep. Just seven Tests old, Akash was drafted into the playing XI to share new ball duties with Mohammed Siraj, alongside Prasidh Krishna. The combination raised a few eyebrows. But what unfolded over five days was nothing short of magic. Akash tore through England's batting line-up in both innings, claiming his maiden 10-wicket haul in Test cricket. He became only the second Indian fast bowler after Chetan Sharma to achieve this feat in England. He picked 4 for 88 in the first innings and followed it with a brilliant 6 for 90 in the second. The numbers might make him look like a rookie, but behind those figures lies a story of resilience, heartbreaks, and unshakeable belief. Back home, his father dreamed of seeing him in a secure government job – perhaps a constable or even a peon. Akash would fill out those exam forms, but never truly attempted them. Cricket was his calling, even back then. He left Bihar to pursue his dreams, settling in Durgapur, West Bengal, and playing for United Club in the CAB second division league. Just as things were looking up, tragedy struck. In 2015, within a span of six months, he lost both his father and elder brother. The burden of supporting the family fell on his young shoulders. Still, he kept grinding. His breakthrough came in the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy season where he picked 35 wickets, taking Bengal to the final. Four years later, he made his Test debut in the home series against England. Since then, there's been no looking back. With 25 wickets from 8 Tests, his best – 10/187 – came in Birmingham. Yet, behind the smiles lay more pain. Just two months ago, his elder sister was diagnosed with cancer which he disclosed publicly on Sunday night, after the world got to know about his ability in foreign conditions. 'Every time I had the ball in my hand, her thoughts would cross my mind," he revealed on live TV, holding back tears. 'This performance is dedicated to her. I want to tell her, 'Sis, we are all with you.'" Indeed, the hard work and the grind paid off, portraying him as one of the lethal weapons in India's artillery. But picking him at the right time was the key. Ahead of the second Test, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan had told cricketnext that if India are not playing Bumrah in Birmingham, they should get in Akash Deep. It's safe to say now that his prediction was spot on. 'I think, Akash Deep is a right guy [if Bumrah doesn't play]. He is a very much Shami kind of a bowler who has got a straight seam. He can actually beat the batters with surprise. He has got off the pitch zip. So, he is the guy who should be playing and if Bumrah is not playing, great," Pathan had told CricketNext at a select media interaction. Akash Deep didn't just fill in for Jasprit Bumrah – he announced himself to the world. In the toughest conditions, he rose from personal loss to script a fairytale comeback, proving that grit, heart, and belief can turn dreams into history.
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
Former spinner believes Jasprit Bumrah is
New Delhi [India], July 8 (ANI): Former England spinner Monty Panesar believes the 'world's best' Jasprit Bumrah 'must' return to India's final XI ahead of the crucial third Test at the expense of Prasidh Krishna against his former side at the 'Home of Cricket', Lord's. With a spirited performance, India restored parity in the five-match series at 1-1 by orchestrating its maiden Test win at Edgbaston, ending its decades-long victory hiatus. Even after being bereft of Bumrah's services, India left England gobsmacked, courtesy of blistering spells from Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj. Panesar emphasised the gravity of India's famed 336-run triumph in Birmingham, especially in the absence of stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin. With the next Test less than 48 hours away, Panesar sees India as favourites to kick off the highly-anticipated affair 'really well.' 'Well, this was a historic win for India, and the way they outplayed England was unbelievable. No one could imagine India could perform this way, especially with no Virat Kohli, Rohit or Ashwin,' Panesar told ANI ahead of the third Test set to begin on Thursday. Bumrah returned to the format after sustaining an injury in Sydney during India's fifth Test against Australia. He dazzled in the first innings and scalped five wickets in 24.4 overs while giving away 83 runs. In the second innings, he lost his charm and went wicketless as India fell to a five-wicket defeat in Leeds. In the second Test, Bumrah was rested as a part of managing his workload, considering he was bound to play just three out of the five games in England. 'In the next Test match, Jasprit Bumrah must come into the team and maybe Krishna out because he has played two back-to-back Test matches, and he may need to rest. India is in ascendancy now. England have a lot to consider, and I think India are favourites to start the Test really well,' he concluded. In the second contest, India captain Shubman Gill took the onus of pushing India's score, especially after his side endured two collapses at the tail in Leeds. He played the captain's knock and shared records for fun en route to a swashbuckling 269(387). In his second turn, when a belligerent approach was the need of the hour, Gill tantalised England's inexperienced pace attack with 161(162), scoring almost at a strike rate of 100. On the bowling front, Akash kept England's top order silent in the first innings and returned with figures of 4/88. However, in the second innings, he upped the ante and left no stone unturned to reduce the English crowd to silence. He dealt heavy blows at crucial junctures and scalped priceless wickets of Joe Root, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith and Harry Brook, derailing England's pursuit of a daunting 608-run target to finish with figures of 6/99. (ANI)
