IND vs ENG: 'No excuses left' – Former India cricketer turns up the heat on Gautam Gambhir's red-ball record
India coach Gautam Gambhir (Photo by)
Former India opener and current head coach
Gautam Gambhir
is facing mounting pressure after Team India's worrying run in Test cricket, despite continued success in white-ball formats including winning the Champions Trophy.
The latest setback came at Headingley, where India, under new captain
Shubman Gill
, lost to England by five wickets. This adds to previous series defeats against New Zealand and Australia. India have now won only one of their last nine Tests under Gambhir's watch. The stretch includes a 3-0 whitewash in New Zealand and a 3-1 loss to Australia that saw India surrender the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
SUBSCRIBE NOW!
This rough patch has coincided with a transition period marked by the retirements of senior players
Virat Kohli
and
Rohit Sharma
from Test cricket following the Australia series loss.
A fresh team under Gill's leadership is still settling in, but the start in England has been disappointing.
India's Bowlers Hit Top Gear in Birmingham Nets | Arshdeep, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Prep Hard
Former India batter
Aakash Chopra
analysed the situation on his YouTube channel, urging patience with Gill but warning of rising pressure on Gambhir. 'There is a lot of pressure on Gautam Gambhir. The pressure is absolutely mounting. He has won two matches against Bangladesh and one against Australia, but we lost three to New Zealand, three to Australia and now one to England.
He has been losing and losing.'
Quiz:
Who's that IPL player?
Chopra stressed there are no excuses left. 'The selectors have given everything the coaching staff has asked for. So, if this is the case, then you also need to deliver the results. Period.'
With the England series now finely poised, Gambhir's leadership in the red-ball format is under the spotlight like never before
Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
24 minutes ago
- India Today
Shubman Gill's captaincy debut praised by Prasidh Krishna: He rotated bowlers well
Prasidh Krishna said that Shubman Gill did a very good job on his captaincy debut despite the loss in the Headingley Test. Gill took over from Rohit Sharma as the new India Test captain ahead of the England and scored a hundred on his maiden innings as the skipper of the side. However, Gill's captaincy did come under the scanner as the bowlers leaked runs in both the innings and India lost the match by five wickets. However, Prasidh came to the defence of Gill while talking to reporters. As quoted by The Times Of India, the pacer said that the Indian captain ensured that the bowlers got enough breaks and brought them back at the right time. advertisement"About Shubman - yeah, I think he did a pretty good job. All of us saw how he rotated the bowlers, made sure everyone got enough breaks, and brought bowlers in at the right times. He spotted opportunities and used the right bowlers accordingly. All of that was great. And knowing him, he created a very good atmosphere around the team."'Gill has been speaking to all of us' Prasidh said that Gill is vocal as captain and speaks to the whole team. After the Indian tail failed to wag in the first Test, Prasidh said that they're working on their game ahead of the second one. "He's been speaking to all of us. We always go in with a plan, and the communication is happening there. As lower order batsmen, we are definitely working on our game. If you look at our net sessions, we are putting in the work. I think it's also about putting your mind into it - making sure you trust yourself, trust the skill you have, and stay at the crease a little longer. The runs and numbers will then follow. And we are working towards that," said Prasidh. advertisementThe pacer also dismissed talks about any dressing room rift and said the camp is still positive despite the loss in Leeds. "The dressing room is still positive, happy, and very, very motivated. Like I said, we came here knowing what this opportunity meant for all of us. And even in the game today, we might have looked quiet at times, but I think we still had a plan," said Prasidh. India and England will square off in the second Test from July 2. - EndsTune InMust Watch
The Hindu
31 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Prasidh not too worried about higher economy rate in return for wickets
Prasidh Krishna has had a tough initiation into Test cricket. Having made his debut 18 months ago in the Centurion Test against South Africa, he has had a stop-start career. He has played just four matches, secured 13 wickets, leaked runs at more than five an over and lost eight months to a quadriceps injury. Yet, there is a quiet confidence in the Indian thinktank that the 29-year-old who measures at 6'2' is a supremely viable option. The first Test against England in Leeds may not have been pretty for Prasidh, as he bowled 35 overs across two innings, conceded a whopping 220 runs and scalped five wickets. But he is the kind of hit-the-deck bowler India has long desired, one who can generate disconcerting bounce and threaten the top-half of the bat. With Ishant Sharma no longer involved, Prasidh is seen as that bowler who can extract more from the turf. One bad match, and that too at a ground that has historically helped those who have bowled fuller, is not going to change that. 'I definitely did not bowl the lengths that I wanted,' Prasidh admitted after the five-wicket loss in Headingley. 'Not wanting to float it up is definitely one of the reasons. In the first innings, I was a little shorter than where I wanted to be. That six to eight [metre length] is ideal. 'The second innings got better because the wicket was slightly slower. I had to pitch slightly behind and then go fuller when I was trying to get a wicket.' In the past, India has sought control and discipline from the third pacer. But in Leeds, Prasidh literally 'bought' wickets by forcing batters into pulls and hooks, with captain Shubman Gill even coming up with customised fielding positions. The next four Tests, starting with Edgbaston from July 2, will offer more clarity on his role. 'Somebody in the team had to do it,' Prasidh said. 'If I sit back and say, 'I want to look at my numbers, what my economy is,' and not really look at the wickets... It cost me a four and a six, but Jamie Smith got out. If it means that I do that and get a wicket, I'm happy to do it.' But deep down, Prasidh is clear about his own expectations. 'Every time I bowl, I'm definitely looking to bowl a maiden,' he stated. 'The outfield [at Headingley] was fast, the lengths, lines that I bowled were not perfect, and they took me on. 'Some of them were edges, some of them I tried bowling bouncers and ended up giving runs. I definitely would want to bring that [economy] down. I'm learning as well and it's my responsibility to get better.' It is imperative that this happens fast as India will be significantly weakened by Jasprit Bumrah's absence in two of the four remaining Tests. 'We are learning off each other,' the lanky speedster said. 'He's [Bumrah] been talking to all of us all even before coming here. [Mohammed] Siraj has played a lot of games, and he's going to continue. 'One thing you cannot get is experience. That you have to earn yourself, and all of us are excited. Whoever comes in, or whatever happens later, it's [going to be] an opportunity for us.'
The Hindu
34 minutes ago
- The Hindu
IND vs ENG: Hunting for wickets comes first for Prasidh Krishna
Prasidh Krishna has had a tough initiation into Test cricket. Having made his debut 18 months ago in the Centurion Test against South Africa, he has had a stop-start career. He has played just four matches, secured 13 wickets, leaked runs at more than five an over and lost eight months to a quadriceps injury. Yet, there is a quiet confidence in the Indian thinktank that the 29-year-old who measures at 6'2' is a supremely viable option. The first Test against England in Leeds may not have been pretty for Prasidh, as he bowled 35 overs across two innings, conceded a whopping 210 runs and scalped five wickets. But he is the kind of hit-the-deck bowler India has long desired, one who can generate disconcerting bounce and threaten the top-half of the bat. With Ishant Sharma no longer involved, Prasidh is seen as that bowler who can extract more from the turf. One bad match, and that too at a ground that has historically helped those who have bowled fuller, is not going to change that. 'I definitely did not bowl the lengths that I wanted,' Prasidh admitted after the five-wicket loss in Headingley. 'Not wanting to float it up is definitely one of the reasons. In the first innings, I was a little shorter than where I wanted to be. That six to eight [metre length] is ideal. 'The second innings got better because the wicket was slightly slower. I had to pitch slightly behind and then go fuller when I was trying to get a wicket.' In the past, India has sought control and discipline from the third pacer. But in Leeds, Prasidh literally bought wickets by forcing batters into pulls and hooks, with captain Shubman Gill even coming up with customised fielding positions. The next four Tests, starting with Edgbaston from July 2, will offer more clarity on his role. 'Somebody in the team had to do it,' Prasidh said. 'If I sit back and say, 'I want to look at my numbers, what my economy is,' and not really look at the wickets... It cost me a four and a six, but Jamie Smith got out. If it means that I do that and get a wicket, I'm happy to do it.' But deep down, Prasidh is clear about his own expectations. 'Every time I bowl, I'm definitely looking to bowl a maiden,' he stated. 'The outfield [at Headingley] was fast, the lengths, lines that I bowled were not perfect, and they took me on. 'Some of them were edges, some of them I tried bowling bouncers and ended up giving runs. I definitely would want to bring that [economy] down. I'm learning as well and it's my responsibility to get better.' It is imperative that this happens fast as India will be significantly weakened by Jasprit Bumrah's absence in two of the four remaining Tests. 'We are learning off each other,' the lanky speedster said. 'He's [Bumrah] been talking to all of us all even before coming here. Siraj has played a lot of games, and he's going to continue. 'One thing you cannot get is experience. That you have to earn yourself, and all of us are excited. Whoever comes in, or whatever happens later, it's [going to be] an opportunity for us.'
