The front wheels of India cricket, captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir are pointing in different directions at the moment. Whether it is the cause of India’s recent humiliating 0-3 defeat at home to New Zealand or its effect is debatable. But the coach and captain are not always on the same page. The start of the Rohit-Gambhir era hasn’t been smooth by any means and as it so happens in Indian cricket, if the results don’t go your way, every molehill becomes a mountain. Not that India’s abysmal batting against New Zealand can be passed as a molehill, but the dressing room equations will now get equal prominence as on-field performances if not more.
After the short-lived partnership between Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble, which was described as ‘untenable’ by the legendary leg-spinner at the time of his resignation, Indian cricket has seen great camaraderie between its captain and head coach. Kohli and Ravi Shastri were a match made in heaven; aggressive, in-your-face. They believed in tit for tat and fighting fire with fire and were one of the main reasons behind India’s rise as a nation which produces world-beating fast bowlers.
After both of them resigned, the Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid combination came into play. They were anything like Kohli and Shastri, but they knew how to win and were always in sync, whether it was picking the team, backing certain players, or opting for pitches in home conditions. The depth of their bond could be gauged by Rohit’s Instagram post, where he described Dravid as his “work wife” after winning the T20 World Cup earlier this year.
Rohit-Gambhir differing over too many things
However, Rohit and Gambhir can not be said to be the same. They haven’t been able to reach common ground on many things in the first three series, out of which India have lost two – the Sri Lanka ODIs and the whitewash at home against New Zealand.
A poor start to the Australia series will shut the doors on India’s WTC final hopes. That’s another reality waiting to hit hard. Whether BCCI makes a review of the home losses public like they did with the 2022 T20 World Cup stocktaking, differing voices on strategy from Rohit and head coach Gautam Gambhir may necessitate an early appraisal.
Behind the scenes, Gambhir hasn’t been a spectator since taking over from Rahul Dravid. Pacer Harshit Rana’s choice for the Australia tour had his stamp, one understands. Also Nitish Kumar Reddy replacing Shardul Thakur, someone who has been a constant in overseas Tests for playing eleven balance.
Besides, Gambhir’s public messaging to “play Test cricket like Test cricket should be played” and “improve defensive play” have been at odds with Rohit’s ultra-aggressive methods, in thought and action. There are also clear indications that Rohit and Gambhir want different pitches for home Tests. The previous management under Dravid had done away with rank turners after realising that substandard pitches bring the overseas spinners into the game but Gambhir has gone back to asking for pitches that turn viciously from Day 1.
Rohit’s public statements on Gambhir and his support staff had a message. “They have been good. They have just come in. They are also understanding how this team operates, and how the players operate,” he said. “It’s important for the players to make sure that the thought process of the coaching staff aligns with theirs and take it forward. It’s been only four or five months now, too early to judge anything.”
They won’t have the privilege of making those choices in Australia. If spicy decks are dished out to them, India will have only a little over a fortnight to prepare.
