Photo Credit: Instagram Photo of @gautamgambhir55
Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir responded sharply to Australia great Ricky Ponting‘s criticism of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Ponting had expressed concerns about Kohli’s form and questioned the duo following India’s Test series loss to New Zealand at home. Gambhir was displeased with Ponting’s comments and suggested he should focus on Australian cricket instead.
Reacting to the situation, former Australia cricketer Mike Hussey said the first Test between India and Australia would reveal who was right in their assessment. He noted the importance of not underestimating players like Rohit and Virat, even if they seem out of form.
“We will find out in the first Test match where they are at, mentally and from a skill perspective as well. They will be hurt by this, India. They have got a lot of crowd pullers and quality. We just heard from Gambhir talking about Rohit and Kohli not making runs. The silliest thing you can do is to write off champion players. We have seen it so many times in the past – they come under criticism, but they come out and perform really well. So I’m backing them to perform well in Australia. They are proud Indians and proud Test players. But I still feel Australia will start favourites,” Hussey said.
Gambhir defended Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, emphasizing his confidence in them and criticizing Ponting for his remarks.
“Not at all. What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket? He should think about Australian cricket. I don’t have any concerns. They are incredibly tough men; they’ve achieved a lot for Indian cricket and are going to achieve a lot in future as well,” Gambhir said during India’s pre-departure press-conference in Mumbai on Monday.
“For me the most important thing is that they still work very hard; they are still passionate; want to achieve a lot more. And that is something which is important. The hunger in the dressing room is invariably important for me and the entire group of people as well. There is a lot of hunger, especially after what has happened in the previous series.”
Gautam Gambhir dismissed speculation that the Indian team is undergoing a transition phase, despite the fact that key players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja are entering the later stages of their careers.
Reports have suggested that the recent home series could have marked the last time these four veterans played together in a Test match in India. Nevertheless, Gambhir and the team management are working proactively to secure the future of Indian cricket.
Emerging talents have begun to make their mark: Washington Sundar delivered impressive performances in the Kanpur and Mumbai Tests, Dhruv Jurel continues to gain attention, notably with a half-century against Australia A, and Aakash Deep has emerged as a strong contender to partner with Jasprit Bumrah, reportedly overtaking Mohammed Siraj in the fast-bowling pecking order. However, Gambhir remained focused on the present.
“Look… to be honest, I am not even thinking that the team is in transition and all that. The thing that is on my mind is that we are going to Australia to play five Test matches. There are some incredibly tough people in that dressing room who have achieved a lot. So you guys can keep talking about transition. For me, they are still pretty hungry and till the time that is the case, they’ve got a lot of fire. Transition or no transition, those things will keep happening in Indian cricket, but at the moment it’s about the five Tests we’re about to play in Australia,” Gambhir said.
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
