Former India middle-order batter Ajay Jadeja has now run to the rescue of Gambhir, saying it is “unfair” to throw brickbats towards Gambhir, saying he took the coaching gig just this year, and time needs to be given to him.
“I think you are being unfair to him… 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,” Ajay Jadeja told the news agency PTI.
“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.
Gautam Gambhir had taken over from Rahul Dravid as the head coach of India after the T20 World Cup win. Under the 2011 World Cup winner, India first suffered an ODI series loss against Sri Lanka after 27 years, and then Rohit Sharma and co were whitewashed at home by New Zealand in the three-match Test series.
‘Don’t judge Gambhir’
Ajay Jadeja also said that he won’t be judging Gambhir because it is just six months since he took over the all-important role.
“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 (Gambhir) in six months,” said Jadeja.
“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 you are seeing now is what everyone expected of him to do,” he added.
Coming back to the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series after defeating Australia by 295 runs at the Optus Stadium, Perth. This win was all the more remarkable considering the visitors were without captain Rohit Sharma and No.3 batter Shubman Gill.
Stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah led from the front as he took a total of eight wickets, including a fifer in the first innings. Rohit will now be playing the second Test in Adelaide, which will be contested under lights.
“Him (Rohit Sharma) coming back to the team will surely boost India’s confidence, for sure. 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,” said Jadeja.
