Shastri Wants Gambhir To 'Go Hard In That Dressing Room' After Losing 1st Test
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Ravi Shastri lashed out at India's performance after their five-wicket loss to England, urging Gautam Gambhir to adopt a strict stance on fielding errors and batting collapses.
Ravi Shastri did not hold back after the team's five-wicket defeat to England in the first Test of the five-match series for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Headingley.
The former India head coach urged Gautam Gambhir to adopt a strict stance in the dressing room.
Speaking to Sky Sports Cricket, Shastri emphasised that Gambhir must address the team's issues firmly and hold individuals accountable for repeated mistakes, suggesting that he should even reprimand players if necessary.
The fielding errors were glaring; India dropped five catches in England's first innings alone, with Yashasvi Jaiswal dropping four throughout the match. Several of these were crucial moments that allowed English batters to regain control and shift the momentum. The problems didn't end there. Despite strong top-order performances in both innings, India's lower-middle order collapsed twice, allowing England to claw back into the match and eventually claim victory.
The lack of intensity in key moments, particularly in the field, exacerbated the situation and led to calls for a 'hard" approach in the dressing room.
Shastri stated that the coaching staff has a significant role to play. He acknowledged the positives from the contest, noting that as captain, Shubman Gill exceeded expectations by scoring a hundred, one of five centuries in the game. However, he stressed the importance of executing the basics better and working as a team to improve areas like fielding.
Shastri pointed out that dropping catches is beyond the captain's control, but the team must work harder collectively to improve. He also emphasised the need for batsmen to value their wickets and not squander opportunities for high scores by being timid or meek.
Shastri highlighted the need for tough love in the dressing room, saying that certain players need to be called out. Nonetheless, he recognised the positives in the Test.
'I think (there is) a big role of the coaching staff," Shastri said.
'Take the positives out of the contest. As a captain, he (Shubman Gill) has done more than what can be asked of him. He got a hundred; there were five hundreds scored in the game. If anything, you want the basics to be done better. There are things that are out of his control.
'Dropping catches is not in his control. That's where the team as a unit can work harder and get better. Similarly, when you come to bat, you've got to put a price tag on your wicket. You can't come out and blow a situation where you can get about 550-600 by just being timid and meek.
'These are the areas where you've got to be hard at times as a coach, really hard in that dressing room. There are certain things where you tick off a few guys. But, there were a lot of positives in this Test," said Shastri.
On Day 5, Jaiswal dropped the in-form Ben Duckett just before he reached his century, and Duckett capitalised on the missed chance, scoring a brilliant 149 that brought England closer to victory. Throughout the day, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant also missed several opportunities to dismiss Ben Stokes and Joe Root from Ravindra Jadeja's deliveries.
First Published:
June 25, 2025, 16:06 IST
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