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India head coach Gautam Gambhir is under heavy pressure from all corners over the team’s recent performances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Gambhir has now been criticized by former Australian spinner Brad Hogg for his earlier comments related to India’s adaptability.
Ahead of the five-match Test series against Australia, Gautam Gambhir had stated that he wanted India to be adaptable according to the situation. However, Hogg feels that the Indian team was just playing in an aggressive manner.
According to the former left-arm wrist spinner, a team must know how to play defensively if they want to salvage a Test match. But India’s ultra-aggressive style has hit them hard and even led to a flurry of wickets.
Brad Hogg questions India’s ‘adaptability’ under Gautam Gambhir
While speaking on his YouTube channel, Brad Hogg recalled Gautam Gambhir’s earlier comments in which he wanted the Indian team to adapt. Hogg called on the Indian team to learn how to play defensively along with their attacking game to salvage a Test match.
“The one thing Gautam Gambhir said earlier that he wants his players to be adaptable, have that aggressive brand of cricket, but when they have to save the Test match, they also have their defensive game. And we really haven’t seen that to the Indian team to do this as we go along,” said Hogg.
Team India has been playing a very aggressive game which has even cost them the Test matches. However, such aggressive play even gave them an unlikely win against Bangladesh in the two-match Test series.
India have naturally aggressive batsmen in the form of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Pant smashed a quickfire 61 off 33 balls in the second innings of the Sydney Test on a pitch that was doing a lot for the bowlers.
Gautam Gambhir statement on India’s adaptability
India head coach Gautam Gambhir had earlier stated that he wants the team to adapt to every situation. Gambhir wanted India to score 400 runs in a single day as well as bat for two days to save a Test match.
“We want to be the team that can score 400 runs in a day and can bat for 2 days to save a Test match as well. And that’s the growth and adaptability that we’re looking for. And that’s what Test cricket really is. We have batsmen in the dressing room who can do both,” Gambhir was quoted as saying by India Today.
However, adaptability has been lacking in the Indian batting line-up so far. The batsmen have been unable to stay at the crease for long and seemed keen to take the game too early.
T20 cricket is believed to be one of the main reasons behind the Indian batsmen’s lack of defence. Players play a lot of T20 cricket and often support themselves to score runs quickly rather than staying at the crease for long.
Brad Hogg on the future of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli
Brad Hogg further blamed Gautam Gambhir and his coaching staff for India’s decline. He also spoke about Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s poor form which has hurt India in the Test series against Australia.
“So is it Gautam Gambhir who has to go or does a new head coach bring in his own coaching staff or is it the assistant coaches who have to go as well? But I think during this particular period, you have Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli there too,” Hogg pointed out.
“The two leaders who haven’t really been on top of their game as well. So there are a number of variables that you could look for, which has been India’s demise at Test level over the period.” observe
The upcoming Champions Trophy will be important for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and could decide their future. Both players are under huge pressure after their recent dip in form.
