Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has suggested that more time should be given to head coach Gautam Gambhir. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru
batting coach and mentor feels thatIndia drawing the England series has provided Gambhir some time to hone his skills as a tactician in red-ball cricket.
Karthik opined that Gambhir is still learning on the job, because he hasn't had much experience of coaching in the longest format of the game. The cricketer-turned-commentator feels that Gambhir has taken up the responsibility of shaping the future of the Indian cricket team.
"So far, I feel he is now getting his way. He will now be responsible for everything that is happening in the Indian team. If he does well, credit to him. If he doesn't do well, I think he should put his hand up and say, 'No, I think we made a mistake here'. For the moment, I think he should be proud of the effort that the boys have put in and a lot of what the backroom staff have done in the last month-and-a-half," Karthik told Cricbuzz.
He is the driving force behind this team, along with Shubman: Karthik
Karthik pointed out that Gambhir didn't have a great time during India's Test assignments against New Zealand and Australia in the lead-up to the England seriees. However, the former India cricketer credited Gambhir for showing the fearlessness in handpicking the team, giving opportunities to youngsters.
"I think Gautam Gambhir had a very ordinary series against New Zealand at home, and that goes without saying. He continued to struggle against Australia. That 3-1 loss—and had India lost 1-3 here in England—I would have said it very differently. But he has now taken control of this team, I feel. This is a team handpicked by him. He has backed a lot of young talent. He has installed a young captain. He is the driving force behind this team, along with Shubman [Gill].
Karthik had only one advise for Gambhir, as he urged the former India opener to focus on taking 20 wickets in Test matches instead of playing safe.
"The one thing I would request—what I would want him to be—is more serious about picking 20 wickets as much as he values batting depth. That’s crucial in Test matches. I think he’s a terrific white-ball coach—the results are there for all to see. But in Test cricket, he’s also learning on the job. He’s a young coach. He hasn’t coached many five-day games or done much domestic cricket coaching to have accumulated that depth of experience. In white-ball, he’s certainly done more, which is why he appears far more comfortable in that format. I think he’s learning as he goes. We don’t know what kind of messaging he delivers in the dressing room, but it’s clear this is a fired-up bunch of players—it was evident at The Oval. You could almost argue that they picked a team not to lose," Karthik remarked.
