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The initial promise of Gautam Gambhir's coaching tenure with the Indian cricket team has been met with a stark reality: a series of defeats and widespread criticism. While his successful leadership with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL led to high expectations for his national team coaching debut, the recent performance of the Indian team has raised serious concerns about Gambhir's ability to lead them to victory. The primary issue seems to lie in the team's vulnerability against spin bowling, a weakness that has been repeatedly exploited by opposing teams.
The concerns began to surface during the ODI series against Sri Lanka, where the Indian batting unit struggled against the Sri Lankan spin trio of Asalanka, Wellalage, and Hasaranga. Despite the presence of seasoned batsmen like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, India's batting crumbled, ultimately losing the series to their weaker opponents. This vulnerability was further highlighted in the subsequent Test series against New Zealand, where India suffered their first Test series loss in over 4000 days. The first Test saw India crumble to a record low score of 46 runs, a stark indicator of their inability to handle the New Zealand spin attack. The second Test mirrored this trend, with another batting collapse leading to a series defeat. The lack of runs, coupled with the inability to capitalize on their home advantage, has put immense pressure on Gambhir.
While the New Zealand team itself faced some challenges, including the absence of their key batsman Kane Williamson, their dominance over the historically strong Indian team cannot be ignored. This raises serious questions about Gambhir's strategy and his ability to prepare the Indian team for such challenges. While the team's spin bowling has been effective, the lack of consistency and the recurring batting collapses have significantly hampered their performance. As the team prepares for the upcoming ODI World Cup, Gambhir and his coaching team will need to address these weaknesses urgently to ensure India's success on the global stage.
Source: 46-All Out, Historic Test And ODI Series Defeats: Gautam Gambhir Era Off To A Rocky Start