Our Bureau
New Delhi
Ever since Gautam Gambhir has taken the reign as the Head Coach of the Indian Cricket Team, he has faced heavy scrutiny from the cricket fans as well as the media. The rocky start that the Indian red-ball side had in the start of his tenure didn’t help Gambhir’s case but this Anderson Tendulkar Trophy has worked wonders for him showcasing the way he has shaped a young Indian side.
The Indian Head Coach alongside the batting coach who is a domestic veteran, Sitanshu Kotak has revolutionised the way Indian batters approach the longest format of the game. A lot of the credit for the way the Indians batted throughout the series should go to Kotak and Gambhir. As per several reports, there was a clear message from the coaching staff to batters like Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant and Kl Rahul among others was “to spend more time in the middle.”
Before Gambhir’s era began there was a lot of talk surrounding the “intent factor” in the Indian Test Team. It was seen that during Rahul Dravid’s era as the Head Coach of the team a lot of players with greater attacking intent were welcomed in the team. However, Gambhir has brought a more traditional approach back in the locker room which was seen in the English series.
It was reported that the two batters whose approach was told to be changed were the newly appointed leaders of the side, captain Shubman Gill and his deputy, the Vice-captain Rishabh Pant. The approach worked wonders for both of them as Gill had a series for the ages and he ended as the highest scorer of the series by a heavy margin breaking records right, left and centre. Pant on the other hand was India’s major asset in the matches he played and was also one of their leading scorers despite missing three innings and playing one with a broken foot.
