By Rajat Subhra Chatterjee
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‘Guru’ Gambhir’s task as Cricket India Coach designate is just cut out. Hopefully, he will take over from Dravid – The Wall – who has reasonably done a good work reaching WC finals and winning T20 WC though lost twice in World Test Championship. Some will be won, some lost. That is the way it goes. Most importantly what has surfaced in Indian cricket is the attitude of calmness, astuteship and belongingness to Team. Rahul’s calm approach, sometimes very defensive like his masterclass days of batting, had resulted on Rohit’s who himself has been a calm composed person on field unlike his predecessor.
Now that T20 WC has been won, defeating Pakistan, Australia, England and South Africa, India today stand unquestionably and quintessentially the Champion of Cricket in the world. Thank you ‘The Wall’ for your contribution and lets wait and see when from Gautam Gambhir takes over with a new set of his team.
Sooner than later, however, ‘Guru’ Gambhir’ will present himself to Team India with few unpleasant and pleasant conversations that would be exchanged in his own way which could be visualized as follows:
- He will call Rishav Pant and tell him that he is an enormously gifted cricketer. But he is not a top order batsman as he does not have – Late cut, Square cut, square drive, cover drive, straight drive, on drive, pull shot, hook shot. What he has are strokes varying only from mid wicket to deep fine leg and all these are flicks. Sometimes his lofted sixers over long on are finished in one hand clearly indicating that he was not in command on that stroke. He will also be told that he has to develop those shots and cut off completely the suicidal reverse sweep. Upteem number of times, he had gifted his wicket in madness. Then only, he may get promoted in batting order. Now in limited overs, he will bat at no 5 and in tests at no 6. He also must remember that one Dhrub Jurel is waiting in the wings.
- Then he will call Jadeja and will tell him, Thank you Sir. With age you have not yet slowed on fielding yet to be in the team, you have to take wickets and bat better than Axar. Else Axar will replace you in limited over games.
- Then he will call Dubey and will motivate him that he being an enormously gifted cricketer like Yuvaraj Singh, should bowl his medium pacers more frequently to be in the running for the 2nd all rounder position in the team after Pandya.
- Then GG will decide the vacant places created by the retirement from T20 I of Kohli and Rohit which should ideally be shared by Shuvman, Jaiswal, Rituraj and Abhishek Sharma.
- GG ‘s next task is to ensure Rinku, Pandya and Dubey play in T20s while Shreyas Iyer, K L Rahul and Axar play in 50 over games.
- GG must rest Bumrah, Jadeja and Rishav in all these inconsequential bi- series or triangulars so that Arshdeep gets better support from Siraj, Khalil, Natarajan, Umran Malik, Tushar Despandey and Abesh Khan. Mukesh Kumar is OK but his pace is unacceptable in international cricket.
- GG may also have to supplement Kuldeep by Chahal, Chahar and Bishnoi.
- GG ‘s next most important task, in consultation with the selection committee may have to decide on captaincy issue. Keeping future in mind, Shuvman Gill be groomed to captain in all formats gradually. Hardik Pandy does not look to be a captaincy material in but an asset in limited over games.
- GG also has to get a genuine all-rounder in Tests, someone like Shastri, Kapil or Mohinder. That is crucial for Team India to win many Tests. After Jadeja, only Axar Patel looks to fill in that position if given opportunity.
- GG will start with his IPL triumph on his piggy bag, and hence should command enough strength and confidence to guide his team alongside new set of coaching team.
Good Luck Guru Gambhir.
concluded
