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Gambhir succeeded Indian great Rahul Dravid at the helm of the team in July and the defeat to the Kiwis was an early blemish on the southpaw’s time at the head of the team. However, Jadeja suggested that it was too soon to judge the…Read More
India Head Coach Gautam Gambhir.
Former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja urged fans to stay patient with India head coach Gautam Gambhir following the side’s humiliating loss at the hands of New Zealand as the Kiwis secured a historic whitewash of the Indian team on home soil nearly a month ago.
Gambhir succeeded Indian great Rahul Dravid at the helm of the Indian team in July and the defeat to the Kiwis was an early blemish on the southpaw’s time at the head of the team. However, Jadeja suggested that it was too soon to judge the 43-year-old’s abilities as the coach of the side.
“I think you are being unfair to him,” he said.
“If you will start judging people on the basis of their coaching role or whatever way it is being looked at, it is too short a time to for people to be judged,” Jadeja said.
“If you are not convinced that he is good, then one performance here or there will be able to convince anyone. I don’t think it is the time to judge him, it is the time we should enjoy him,” he added.
Jadeja explained that Gambhir has always bee straightforward and upfront about his approach to the sport and that fans should back him during the early phase of his time as the coach.
“So, there are phases and it will come, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. So, I won’t go into that direction and start judging him in six months,”the 53-year-old said.
“You knew what you were asking for and what you were getting. He is a very clear-cut person and he has made it clear throughout his life. So, what your are seeing now is what everyone expected of him to do,” he elucidated.
Indian bounced back form the Kiwi disappointment with a stunning 295-run over rivals Australia in the opening fixture of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Perth last week.
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, who missed the first game following the birth of his second child, is set to return to the team, which would certainly serve as a shot in the arm for the touring side ahead of the second Test slated to be held in Adelaide.
“Rohit Sharma coming back to the team will surely boost India’s confidence, for sure,” Jadeja opined.
“He is a leader, when the chips were down, the team was going down, he stood up there as the leader and now when the team is going up, he will be again there as the leader,” he lauded the 37-year-old captain.
KL Rahul, who opened the innings alongside dashing youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal, added 77 runs to the team’s cause in the second inning to help India over the line. When quizzed if Rohit and Rahul should swap their batting positions Jadeja stated that the skipper would be an asset to the team irrespective of his batting number.
“I have no details of what the team is thinking right now, no views on who should bat at what number. Rohit Sharma has always been an asset to the side wherever he bats,” Jadeja concluded.
