However, things are different this time around since Gautam Gambhir, the new head coach, is guiding the Indian team in the renowned bilateral series in 2024–25. Gambhir’s start hasn’t been great; under his leadership, India lost a series to Sri Lanka and subsequently blanked New Zealand, their first home defeat in a long time. Consequently, the Delhi native is under a lot of pressure to lead India in their match against the Australians.
The next Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25 will pit India against Australia in five Test matches, with the first match starting on November 22 at Perth’s Optus Stadium. The captaincy of Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane has allowed India to win their most recent tours to Australia. On both occasions, Ravi Shastri served as India’s head coach.
Prior to the team’s departure, Gautam Gambhir spoke at a news conference in Mumbai and responded angrily to questions about Ricky Ponting’s remarks regarding the performance of captain Rohit Sharma and senior batsman Kohli. People’s reactions to the statement were mixed, and now former cricket player Tim Paine has joined in to support Ponting amid the controversy.
“I’m not a fan of it,” Gautam Gambhir replied. Since he was only asked a pretty basic question, I don’t believe it’s encouraging,” the former wicketkeeper-batter told SEN Tassie.
“I believe he may still view Ricky as a rival, but even if Ricky is now a paid pundit, his viewpoint was accurate. The fact that Virat has been slipping is really concerning. However, in my opinion right now, India’s coach and his capacity for composure under duress are more concerning than either Virat Kohli’s or Rohit Sharma’s batting.
Paine, the Australian team’s captain during the two previous Indian team tours, also believed that Shastri’s coaching style helps the players stay motivated and enjoy their game, something he does not think Gambhir’s style does. Additionally, Paine called Gambhir a prickly and fiercely competitive instructor.
The atmosphere that Ravi Shastri created was fantastic, and the players were energised and played with passion. He sold them on the dream and inspired them in a fun and light-hearted manner.
Also Read: ‘It has to be Virat Kohli’ – Michael Clarke, reflects on what India needs to do to win BGT 2024-25
My worry is that the Indian cricket team isn’t a good fit for their new coach, who is really competitive and prickly. That’s not to suggest that’s a bad thing or a bad coaching style, though,” Paine said.
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