IND vs AUS: Another series loss puts India coach Gautam Gambhir back under the microscope

India lose another series under Gautam Gambhir. (Photo: X)

Shubman Gill’s start to his ODI captaincy hasn’t begun on the right note, as India have lost the series to Australia. After losing in Perth, the Men in Blue put up a better performance in Adelaide but fell short in the end. Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer batted well for their half-centuries, but neither could convert them into a big hundred. A total of 264 was defendable but not match-winning. Given Australia’s inexperienced middle order, all India needed was to send back Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head early. They did that but still went on to lose the game. Dropped catches, coupled with poor tactical calls, led to India’s downfall.

Fielding has been a subject of criticism since the Asia Cup. In white-ball cricket, India have been dropping a lot of catches. This is a short-term issue which they’ll resolve. However, one issue that has become persistent is that, tactically, India have been found out in almost every bilateral series since Gautam Gambhir took charge as head coach during last year’s tour of Sri Lanka.

It was during that tour of the island nation that India lost their last ODI series to Charith Asalanka’s Sri Lanka — their first defeat under Gambhir. They then surrendered to spin. After the first match ended in a tie, India lost the next two. Wholesale changes were made after India lost the second T20I, and several decisions were criticised — such as Mohammed Siraj bowling nine overs on a turning track, where he leaked 77 runs. The Indian batters’ technique against spin was exposed once again. The same issue resurfaced in the home series against New Zealand. Under overcast conditions, India opted to bat first — a decision criticised globally — as they were bundled out for 46 and eventually lost the match.

In Australia, the team management made several missteps — from Rohit’s demotion to the middle order for the Adelaide and Brisbane Tests, to playing two spinners on a green top in Sydney, and using Nitish Kumar Reddy as the fourth seam-bowling option in his debut Test series.

Gambhir and company faced heavy criticism for the team’s back-to-back Test series losses. Then came the home series against England and the Champions Trophy, both of which India won. Moves such as the decision to promote Axar Patel and play four spinners in the knockout games of the Champions Trophy paid off remarkably well.

India then travelled to England and levelled the series with a new-look team. Even though it was a commendable effort by Gill and his men, the result could have been different had India made some bolder calls. Not playing Kuldeep Yadav in any of the matches was one of the major mistakes, especially given England’s well-known struggles against wrist spin.

The Gambhir-led management came under scrutiny again for not playing Kuldeep in the Perth ODI. After losing that game, there was optimism that he might feature in Adelaide, but once again, it didn’t happen. Adam Zampa, Australia’s wrist-spinner, finished as the best bowler in the game with four wickets. Meanwhile, India’s best spinner was left warming the bench and carrying drinks. Sending Sundar ahead of Nitish during the slog overs also failed to pay off.

After losing the series to Australia in Adelaide, Gambhir has once again given his critics reason to question his credibility and tactical nous as coach — and this time, the criticism is fair. The aforementioned decisions could be labelled as blunders by the think tank. It’s not the first time this has happened, but followers of Indian cricket will hope the management makes fewer errors going forward.

Gambhir has an eye for talent. Backing players such as Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, and Harshit Rana will benefit India in the long run. Under his guidance, these players are likely to develop further. What Gambhir now needs to do is sharpen his tactical approach and support the Indian captains in making better on-field decisions.