Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir rejoined the Test team on Tuesday, December 3, after a brief return to India for personal reasons. Gautam Gambhir, who traveled back after the dominant win in the first Test against Australia, has now returned to the squad ahead of the second match of the series.
Regular captain Rohit Sharma and injured batter Shubman Gill returned to the warm-up match against the Australian Prime Minister’s XI after missing the first Test in Perth. India won the Perth Test by 295 runs under stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah and took a 1-0 lead in the ongoing five-match Test series.
Watch: Gautam Gambhir Joins Team India in Adelaide After Brief Absence
Gautam Gambhir returned to India after the series opener in Perth for personal reasons. The 10-day gap between the first and second Tests allowed him to avoid missing any part of the series. However, he was unavailable for the pink ball warm-up match, where Team India secured a six-wicket victory.
Assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar, Ryan ten Doeschate, and bowling coach Morne Morkel, along with fielding coach T Dilip, oversaw India’s two-day warm-up match during Gambhir’s absence. The Indian team head coach has now joined the squad in Adelaide and will begin overseeing preparations.
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Team India Head Coach Gautam Gambhir has joined the squad in Adelaide@debasissen reports #AUSvIND #BGT #GautamGambhir @ThumsUpOfficial pic.twitter.com/YLgBgCtgFG
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) December 3, 2024
Gautam Gambhir Needs to Finalize India’s Playing XI for Second Test vs Australia
Gambhir’s first assignment after returning will be finalizing India’s playing XI for the game. The second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a day-night pink ball match, will begin on Friday, December 6, in Adelaide. India will need to make changes to the lineup with Rohit and Gill’s availability.
In Rohit’s absence, Jasprit Bumrah led the team, while Devdutt Padikkal played in place of the injured Shubman Gill. Rahul and Jaiswal are likely to bat as openers. Rohit may bat at number three or lower down the order, with Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant settled at numbers four and five, respectively.
We Can’t Judge Someone Based On Their Coaching – Ajay Jadeja
Former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja believes it is too soon to judge Gambhir’s performance as Team India’s coach. He emphasized that results take time and urged people to appreciate Gambhir’s efforts instead of rushing to judgment.
“It’s only been six months, and we can’t judge someone based on their coaching or teaching roles. It’s too short a time to make any conclusions. We should appreciate him (Gautam Gambhir). Results will come—sometimes they will win, sometimes they will lose. So, I’m not going to judge in just six months,” Ajay Jadeja.
VIDEO | “It’s only been six months, and we can’t judge someone based on their coaching or teaching roles. It’s too short a time to make any conclusions. We should appreciate him (Gautam Gambhir). Results will come—sometimes they will win, sometimes they will lose. So, I’m not… pic.twitter.com/tVuEbod52A
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 30, 2024
India secured a Test (2-0) series win against Bangladesh under Gambhir’s first tenure as Test head coach. However, the team faced a 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand. It was India’s first home Test series loss in 12 years, and Gambhir received heavy criticism.
Also read: Bangladesh ODI squad for West Indies series announced, Mehidy Hasan Miraz named captain