India head coach Gautam Gambhir has had quite the start to his career as India’s head coach. Gambhir has recently come under the radar after team India’s performance in the recently concluded three-game Test series against New Zealand. Gautam Gambhir has had a difficult start to his coaching tenure, especially in red-ball cricket.
India suffered its first Test series defeat on home soil in over a decade. He started off with a 2-0 series win over Bangladesh, and a similar result was expected in the three-match series against New Zealand, but the tables turned this time as the Kiwis whitewashed the Asian Giants 0-3.
Gautam Gambhir arrived in the Indian team with a big reputation as the BCCI also gave him a say in the team selection but things have not went well for him thus far. Right after he took over the reins, India lost an ODI series to Sri Lanka for the first time in 27 years, and then New Zealand completed a 3-0 whitewash of his side in Tests at home on Sunday, something the team never experienced in its long cricketing journey.
In the last two Tests against New Zealand, the BCCI prepared turning tracks in Pune and Mumbai – the decision which backfired miserably as the Indian batters failed to tackle the kiwi spinners – Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips and Mitchell Santner.
The former opener is now under scrutiny, and comparisons with ex-India coaches are adding more pressure on him. Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali also asserted that Rahul Dravid, who guided the Indian team to the 2024 T20 World Cup title, had a better understanding of the game than Gambhir, who took over the charge from him after mentoring KKR to the IPL 2024 title.
Basit Ali compares Gautam Gambhir to former coach Rahul Dravid post disappointing 3-0 series loss to NZ
Former Pakistani batter Basit Ali believes that Rahul Dravid is a more intelligent coach than his successor Gautam Gambhir. Dravid’s stint as Team India’s head coach ended following the Men in Blue’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph.
Gambhir has come under the scanner following India’s home series defeat to New Zealand. India lost all three matches of the recently concluded series against the Black Caps, suffering their first-ever whitewash in a three-match home Test series.
Basit opined that Dravid was a smarter coach who knew what kind of pitches India needed to prepare to win at home. In a video shared on his YouTube channel, the cricketer-turned-expert said :
“Rahul Dravid’s mind is better than Gautam Gambhir. Dravid made pitches for four days, where the ball would turn on the last couple of days. You are now making such pitches where even someone who isn’t a regular spinner is getting a lot of turn right from the first day.”
Gambhir’s stint as India’s head coach has started on a dismal note. Under him, the Indian team also lost their first bilateral series against Sri Lanka in 27 years.
Basit Ali shares his views on Rahul Dravid
Basit Ali emphasized that Rahul Dravid knew the psychology of the players and managed them accordingly, instead of forcing them to play in a certain way. He suggested that a player like Virat Kohli won’t succeed if he is asked to bat like T20s in Test cricket.
Basit said in the aforementioned video :
“Rahul Dravid was a good coach. He knew the psychology of the players. If you tell Virat Kohli to play T10 and T20 in Test cricket, then it’s unfair.”
Gambhir’s next big assignment will be India’s five-match away Test series against Australia. The much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy kicks off in Perth on November 22. India need to win the series 4-0 to make it to the World Test Championship (WTC 2023-25) final on their own. After the New Zealand whitewash, the Indian team will hope to improve with a tough tour to Australia. Rohit Sharma’s men will take on the Aussies in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Both sides will lock horns in the first Test of the series in Perth on November 22.