Following the Indian team’s 0–2 thrashing by South Africa in the two-match Test series, head coach Gautam Gambhir has been under fire.
Since the recent defeats have severely damaged Gambhir’s chances of making it to the World Test Championship (WTC) final, some supporters even believe that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should step in and issue an ultimatum to him.
Devajit Saikia, the secretary of the BCCI, has defended Gambhir, stating that the players must improve their ability to adjust to new circumstances. He used renowned Indian batters like Dilip Vengsarkar and Sunil Gavaskar as examples, pointing out how they developed distinct strategies for playing at home and abroad.
It is necessary for the players to adapt to the weather, general circumstances, soil composition, and grass length on a pitch. It is expected of a Test cricket player to adjust to any type of pitch. When Dilip Vengsarkar and Sunil Gavaskar batted in the West Indies, England, South Africa, or Australia in the past, they employed distinct strategies for playing at home or under other circumstances. Everything is subject to change, with the exception of the player, who must adjust to the circumstances. That is the main objective of the game. Saikia was cited as telling TOI, “That is the beauty of Test cricket.”
The current Indian squad is going through a transitional phase after the retirements of legends like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin this year, thus Saikia also asked cricket fans and other stakeholders to give it some time.
“You must take important factors into account. One is that three seasoned players—Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Virat Kohli—left Test cricket. The lineup is expanding with new players. Thus, the Indian team is currently undergoing a change. “It will be a while before we become the world’s top Test team again,” he continued.
BCCI doesn’t accept impulsive responses: Saikia
According to Saikia, the BCCI would not panic in response to a few negative outcomes and will instead stick to its long-term plan.
“BCCI doesn’t accept impulsive responses. We are proceeding in accordance with our long-term strategy. The game involves both winning and losing. We don’t occasionally make adjustments. We make a decision at the conclusion of that specific time frame if any changes are needed,” Saikia stated.
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