Three days prior to the first Test match against England, on June 17, Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team, is scheduled to return to the national team in Leeds. Last week, Gambhir went to Delhi after a family emergency in which his mother had to be taken to the hospital after suffering a heart arrest.
Fortunately, she is now in better health, so Gautam Gambhir can return in time for the opening Test.
For more than a week, the Indian squad has been in England getting ready for the five-match Test series. They will be led by recently anointed Test captain Shubman Gill. Assistant coaches Ryan ten Doeschate and Sitanshu Kotak, bowling coach Morne Morkel, and India A coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar managed the team’s preparations while Gambhir was away. To replicate match conditions, India and India A played a three-day intra-squad practice match in Beckenham behind closed doors.
VVS Laxman is spotted with the Indian squad.
Notably, Gautam Gambhir comeback will be essential to deciding the starting lineup. The squad must make crucial selection decisions in the interim, such as whether to start youthful B Sai Sudharsan or veteran Karun Nair, who recently hit a double century for India A and is in the prime of his career.
Despite not having a formal role assigned by the BCCI, VVS Laxman has been observed around the Indian team in London. The National Cricket Academy now employs the former Indian batsman, who can be a major asset to the team’s series preparation.
On June 17, India will depart London for Leeds, with June 16 being a day off. In order to prepare for the first Test at Headingley beginning on June 20, the team is anticipated to engage in a rigorous net session on June 18 and 19, as there will be no practice on the day of travel.
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