"When India Lose, They Panic": Shubman Gill, Gautam Gambhir Sent Big Message For 4th Test
"One thing I've noticed - when India lose, they panic. When they win, they stick with the same XI. After losing the first Test, they made 2-3 changes. But after winning in Birmingham, only (Jasprit) Bumrah came in - no other changes. That's been the pattern," Kaif told IANS.
"Even after losing the third Test, I believe they should back the same team going into Manchester. Karun Nair has been getting starts - 30s and 40s - but not converting. Still, he deserves another opportunity. This is a test for both Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir. After a close loss, will they panic and make changes? Or will they trust the players?" he added.
India lost the opening Test to England by 5 wickets. The Shubman Gill-led side then went on to win the second game by 336 runs. The third Test was a neck-and-neck contest which the Ben Stokes and Co. won by a narrow margin of 22 runs.
"India dominated for 12-13 out of the last 15 days. They played solid cricket - both with the bat and the ball. When this team landed in England, most people predicted a 0-4 or 1-4 defeat, but they've surprised everyone," said Kaif.
"Without Kohli, Rohit, Shami, and Ashwin, this young team stood up and delivered. They lost two close matches - Headingley was in India's grasp, and so was the final Test while chasing 193. Shubman Gill has led from the front - as captain and as a batsman. There were doubts about his ability to perform in English conditions, but he answered with the bat. With a bit of luck, India could've won all three Tests," he added.
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