Mohammad Kaif has questioned Gautam Gambhir’s tactical acumen as India’s head coach, particularly in handling Virat Kohli’s ongoing struggles with the bat in Test cricket. Kaif suggested that Gambhir may not have had the time to work on Kohli’s technical flaws, but his main responsibility should be making the right team selections.
The former Indian cricketer said that his former teammate Gautam Gambhir may not have reached that stage yet to order Virat Kohli about the changes in his batting technique. Kohli and his ongoing rough phase have been a hot topic among the cricket fraternity to discuss for the past few months.
Mohammad Kaif questions Gautam Gambhir’s ability to handle Virat Kohli’s slump
The India batting maestro was dismissed outside off-stump throughout the five-match Test series in Australia, raising questions over his technique and the Indian coaches’ roles, as it was in the repeated fashion. Notably, Virat Kohli could score only 190 runs in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 despite starting the series with a century in the Perth Test.
Kohli’s stats in the ongoing 2024-25 season are more than concerning in Test cricket, as the former Indian skipper has so far managed only 382 runs in 10 matches at an average of 22.87 with the help of a solitary century and a fifty, leading to growing calls for his dropping from the team.
Gambhir hasn’t been on the top of his game tactically: Mohammad Kaif
Meanwhile, apart from questioning his role in Virat Kohli’s slump, Mohammed Kaif said that Gautam Gambhir was a big failure as a coach on the recent Australia tour, and his tactical decisions were just ordinary. He emphasized that a good coach knows how to pick the right XI based on conditions and the opposition, especially when facing a tough team like Australia.
Mohammad Kaif said in a video posted on his X handle: “The best coach is the one who is tactically superior. He should know how to pick the right XI according to the conditions. What side he should go with against a team like Australia is a coach’s job.”
“The rest, like solving Virat Kohli’s technical issues, may not be possible because he may not have gotten that time yet. ‘Boss, you do this’ to solve your batting issues. Perhaps Gambhir hasn’t reached that stage yet. He would need more time. But Gambhir hasn’t been on the top of his game tactically. He has been lagging behind.”
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Mohammad Kaif questions India’s tactical decisions on Australia tour
Furthermore, Mohammad Kaif questioned Gambhir exactly where the Indian cricket team faltered in Australia. He also called for an explanation for Ravindran Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin’s non-selection for the Perth Test.
The former Indian cricketer further noted, “We won the first Test because of Bumrah, but these are the tactical mistakes that he has to correct in the future.” In the end, Kaif, one of India’s best fielders, questioned some of the selection decisions made by the Indian cricket team management during the Australia Test series.
He questioned Dhruv Jurel’s selection for the first Test, only to be dropped later, and the exclusion of Sarfaraz Khan. Kaif also slammed India’s decision to pick Harshit Rana over Prasidh Krishna, who he believed would have been more suited to Australian conditions due to his ability to hit the deck hard.
Virat can make a Comeback,
Bumrah not the right fit to Captain Team India.
Gautam Gambhir not the Tactical Coach India needs.
What’s the way ahead for Team India?#BGT #CricketwithKaif11 pic.twitter.com/7FUrwgFwIm— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) January 8, 2025