Reports: Gautam Gambhir to be axed ‘if things don’t work out in Australia’

Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as head coach of the Indian cricket team has not been a great one. He succeeded Rahul Dravid, who guided the Men in Blue to victory in the T20 World Cup. He presided over the multi-format series against Sri Lanka, in which the squad swept the Lankans in three matches and lost ODIs 2-0.

A home series against Bangladesh followed, in which the opposition was whitewashed after failing to put up a fight. But after 2012, the Indians lost a series at home after being thoroughly thrashed by New Zealand in the three Test matches that followed.

According to a report by Dainik Jagran, Gambhir may therefore be about to be relieved of his responsibilities from the red-ball setup. Only “if things don’t work out in Australia” would this occur, according to a source close to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). According to the same report, if India doesn’t do well in Australia, former stalwart VVS Laxman will be in charge of the Test team. Gambhir will thereafter only be able to access the white-ball sides.

It’s interesting to note that the BCCI has complied with the majority of Gambhir’s requests, whether they relate to the coaching staff or the selection of players for the next Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In the history of Indian cricket, very few coaches have enjoyed the freedom that Gambhir does. This is thought to be one of the primary causes of the top brass’s discontent with the Delhi native’s work thus far.

Laxman has frequently served as a temporary head coach inside the coaching setup. He is presently travelling to South Africa with the Indian team.

Also Read: ‘The honeymoon period for Gautam Gambhir has ended’- Sunil Gavaskar wants India’s coach to guide team properly in BGT 2024-25

Laxman, who is also the chairman of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), led his team to a convincing victory over the Proteas yesterday by a total of 61 runs.