Gambhir's tactics haven't eased things; he needs to relax: Manjrekar

Business Standard

5 days ago

Gautam Gambhir needs to loosen up, may be take a "chill pill", feels cricketer-turned-analyst Sanjay Manjrekar, who strongly believes that India earned a creditable draw in the fourth Test against England here despite some not-so-great tactical calls by the national team's head coach.
Manjrekar didn't mince words when he said that the former southpaw hasn't strategically been on point in the red-ball format. Despite the fighting draw on Sunday, India are trailing 1-2 in the series with just one match to go.
"I feel India has done well despite some of his (Gambhir) tactical decisions. Let's not forget: India lost 3-0 at home (to) New Zealand, lost comfortably to Australia (away). The fight we've seen in this team? That's down to the players.
"Because tactically, Gambhir hasn't always made things easier - especially with some of his selections." Manjrekar also urged the fiery head coach not to treat every contrarian opinion as mindless criticism after the former India opener hit back at critics of skipper Shubman Gill describing them as people who lacked cricketing knowledge.
"There was never any doubt about Shubman Gill's talent. If someone had doubts, they probably don't understand cricket. Some players take time to settle in international cricket.
"In this dressing room, no one is surprised by what he's done on this tour," Gambhir said at the post-match press conference.
"Even if he hadn't performed the way he did, we would still have had complete faith in his talent. What matters is that he's living up to his expectations and potential. More importantly, the so-called pressure of captaincy doesn't seem to affect him when he bats; he plays as a batsman, not as a captain," he added.
Manjrekar, the veteran of 37 Tests, is known to speak his mind on various issues pertaining to Indian cricket, which at times doesn't conform to the popular point of view.
After listening to Gambhir's press conference, the Mumbaikar couldn't help but express his take on 'JioHostar'.
"Yeah, you can tell there are certain questions that get under his skin - especially when people question Gill as a young captain and batter. And honestly, those are valid doubts.
"Even people who deeply understand cricket wonder whether this was the right time to hand him that opportunity. I just hope we can all understand this better," Manjrekar said.
Over the past decade, whether it is some recently-retired superstars or current head coach and one or two senior players, there is always talk about "outside noise" which loosely means anyone who is critical of the team other than those present inside the confines of the dressing room.
"It's not about 'you guys think' and 'we think' - we're all part of the same industry and the same country. I'd just like to see him take a chill pill, relax a bit, and be open to tough questions. Whether that will happen, I'm not sure," said Manjrekar.
Manjrekar was also dismissive of Gambhir's assertion that Karun Nair wasn't dropped after his poor run of scores but just the best eleven was picked.
"And to suggest that Karun Nair 'wasn't dropped'... come on. You guys see it as a drop; for them, it's about 'picking the right team'. If someone is dropped, he is dropped," he added.