Gautam Gambhir, the Indian men’s cricket team’s head coach, is scheduled to rejoin the national squad in Leeds on June 17, barely three days before the first Test against England.
Gautam Gambhir returned to Delhi last week due to a family issue in which his mother was hospitalised after suffering a heart arrest.
Fortunately, her condition has improved, allowing Gautam Gambhir to return in time for the first Test.
The Indian team, led by recently chosen Test captain Shubman Gill, has been in England for more than a week, preparing for the five-match series. During Gambhir’s absence, assistant coaches Ryan ten Doeschate and Sitanshu Kotak, bowling coach Morne Morkel, and India A coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar managed the team’s preparations. A three-day intra-squad practice game between India and India A was held behind closed doors in Beckenham to simulate game conditions.
VVS Laxman seen with the Indian team.
Notably, Gambhir’s recovery will be critical to determining the playing XI. Meanwhile, the squad must make critical selection decisions, such as whether to deploy the experienced Karun Nair, who just scored a double century for India A and is in top form, or to give youthful B Sai Sudharsan his debut.
Meanwhile, VVS Laxman has been observed near the Indian team in London, though he has yet to be officially assigned a role by the BCCI. The former Indian hitter is now linked with the National Cricket Academy and can play an important part in the team’s preparations for the series.
India will travel from London to Leeds on June 17, with June 16 set aside as a vacation day. With no practice scheduled on the trip day, the squad is likely to focus on an intense net session on June 18 and 19 in preparation for the first Test at Headingley, which begins June 20.
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