aises more questions than answers as head coach's performance comes under the lens
SYDNEY: It doesn't take a lot to get Gautam Gambhir angry. It never has. Even as a player, he was quick to lose his temper and his intensity could often prove to be hard to handle. It didn't necessarily make him a bad player, but his presence in the dressing room often came with caveats. It was also one of the reasons why many were unsure about him as Team India coach. For starters, he had no real experience. And it is one thing to be a mentor in the Indian Premier League and quite another to handle the best players in India against the best in the world.
Would his confrontational, always-on-attack attitude help? In the short run, it hasn't. India are in a tough space and the results over the last six months have been disappointing, to say the least. They lost the ODI series against Sri Lanka (2-0), then the home Test series against New Zealand (3-0) - the first home series loss in 12 years - and the Border Gavaskar Trophy after losing the series 3-1. Australia beat India in a series for the first time in a decade. This is a sign of things starting to spiral out of control.
So, it wasn't really a surprise that in India's final press conference in Australia on Sunday, head coach Gambhir was an angry man. He was gruff, flippant, not even listening to the entire question before launching into a tirade.
To his credit, he spoke about many things - his views on the future of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the reasons for the series defeat, Jasprit Bumrah, tough men, tough cricket and how he will be the first to accept the team's mistakes. A common refrain through all these answers was: "As simple as it can get."
Then again, maybe the questions are simple because they are so obvious. But the answers, that's a different matter altogether.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Cummins, the pace spearhead driving Australia's serial success
Knack for wickets, unparalleled control and a never-say-die attitude for which Glenn McGrath will be revered as possibly the greatest Australian fast bowler in the last four decades.
Olympic Champs Axelsen, An Top the Field for India Open
Reigning Olympic champions Viktor Axelsen and An Se Young will be among the star attractions at the latest iteration of the Yonex-Sunrise India Open that kicks off in capital's Indira Gandhi Stadium next week.
Agarkar to Brief Selectors Ahead of BCCI Meet on Sunday
The selection committee will be in full attendance for the knockout rounds of the Vijay Hazare Trophy one-dayers in Vadodara, which start with the pre-quarter finals on Thursday.
Djokovic: At his happy hunting ground, with an old foe in tow
The Serbian has worked with Becker, Agassi and Ivanisevic. In Murray he has access to the mind of a master tactician
Indian hockey players bonding with the best in relaunched HIL
Skipper Sumit Walmiki and Australian Tim Brand walked to the dugout, shared a laugh and high-fived after Hyderabad Toofans' practice.
Neeraj to star in a world javelin event in India
India's two-time Olympic medallist and reigning world champion Neeraj Chopra will be the star attraction in a marquee international javelin tournament at home later this year, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) said on Tuesday.
Shooter Tomar Finds Fresh High After Domestic Double
Varun Tomar's dream of representing India at the Paris Olympics was crushed when he lost in the domestic selection trials to pick the final squad.
Cloud over review of 14-yr-old trade pact with Asean
THE REVIEW HAS STALLED SINCE INDIA'S OFFER OF A UNIFIED DUTY STRUCTURE HAS NOT FOUND FAVOUR AMONG ASEAN MEMBERS
Auto sales rise 9% in 2024 despite headwinds, says Fada
India's automobile registrations accelerated by 9.1% in 2024 despite headwinds in the form of extreme weather, uneven monsoons and state elections, the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (Fada) said.
Infosys taps staff to build ideas factory
In a first, Infosys Ltd has asked employees to think out of the box and come up with new ideas that can be scaled up and offered to clients as part of a business incubator programme.
