NEW DELHI: Gautam Gambhir, the hero of two World Cups for India in white-ball cricket, has taken on the responsibility of being the
head coach
for the
Indian team
. He has replaced Rahul Dravid, who ended his tenure after leading the team to victory in the
T20 World Cup 2024
.
Gautam Gambhir, who was awarded
Test Player of the Year
in 2009 was labelled 'rubbish' by an English commentator when India toured England in 2014.
The Indian team had returned to English soil in 2014 for a Test series for the first time since their victory over the home side in the Champions Trophy final in 2013. The England team were eager to bounce back and play well to settle the score.
India made a strong comeback after their last disappointing Test series in England. They managed a draw in the first match and secured a win in the second. With the five-match series becoming competitive, it was clear England would not have an easy time.
England regrouped and won the next two matches, bringing the series score to 2-1 over four games. India, feeling the pressure, remained focused on winning the final Test to level the series, despite having lost momentum recently.
India’s cricket team commenced batting on the first day of the fifth Test against England with openers Murali Vijay and Gautam Gambhir taking the crease. Despite previous struggles on English pitches, Gambhir's return to the Test scene was met with harsh criticism from commentator
Geoffrey Boycott
.
Boycott was vocal about Gambhir's performance, saying, "Gautam Gambhir is now marking his crease, and he is one of those rubbish players in this Indian side."
Gambhir's outing was brief as he was dismissed on the first ball by
James Anderson
, failing to score. Gambhir's Test average in England is 12.70.
Gautam Gambhir goes on a duck .. jimmy Anderson shines
Following Gambhir's early dismissal, Boycott reiterated his stance, "Well, he is rubbish, isn’t he? I told you, he can’t bat in England. I have seen him play in nearly all his 50 Test matches. Flat decks in India, where the ball doesn’t bounce or do much. That’s just crazy batting."
This marked Gautam Gambhir’s final Test match in England.
Contrary to Boycott's statements, Gautam Gambhir actually has a better Test average outside India than in India. On foreign soil, Gambhir averages 43.61, whereas in home conditions, his average is 40.73.
English (US) ·