Image: Yograj Singh criticized the Indian team management, led by Gautam Gambhir / © NDTV Sports
Border-Gavaskar Trophy witnessed a series loss for India after 10 years, with India succumbing to a 1-3 defeat against Australia. Former cricketer Yograj Singh, in light of the loss, critiqued the Indian team management, particularly the role of Gautam Gambhir, who is part of the coaching staff.
Yograj emphasized that Gambhir should have acted more as a man-manager rather than a traditional coach. He pointed out Virat Kohli’s repeated dismissals, where he edged the ball multiple times, and suggested that Gambhir should have advised Kohli against playing the risky shot through covers on bouncy Australian pitches. He said:
The role of a coach becomes a significant question when you are playing for India. When you’re an exceptional player representing India, you might not necessarily need coaching in the traditional sense. What you truly need is someone for man management. Sometimes, a player’s mind gets blocked; they might not be scoring runs, or they keep getting out. No matter how great a player is, they can’t be bigger than the game itself. Such players need someone to guide them, to say, “Let’s go to the nets and work on this”. For example, Virat Kohli got out many times playing his favourite shot – the right-hand push. That shot works on Indian pitches, in England, and elsewhere. But on certain pitches where the ball bounces and carries more, someone should have told him, “Virat, don’t play this shot”. Just play straight or leave this ball.
Yograj highlighted the need for someone to manage players’ mental blocks during rough patches and guide them through technical adjustments. He stressed that while great players don’t always need traditional coaching, they require someone to provide reassurance and tactical advice. The loss has raised questions about the future of key players like Gambhir, Kohli, and Rohit Sharma in the Test format.