Manoj Tiwary, a former cricket player for India, has blasted head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma for their decision-making after India’s devastating loss to New Zealand in the first Test match in Bengaluru.
New Zealand achieved their first Test victory on Indian soil in 36 years as a result of the loss. India crumbled for 46 runs in the first innings, their lowest Test total at home, raising serious questions about their strategy and tactics.
“I occasionally don’t comprehend the choices. It appears that common sense is lacking. I’m not sure what the coach or captain is attempting to prove. Every time there is a new captain or coach, I think they try to show themselves and make these kinds of choices,” Tiwary.
Regarding India’s failure to use R Ashwin, Manoj Tiwary said, “I don’t know why that did not happen.”
Tiwary was particularly worried about how senior spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was being handled. Ashwin only bowled two overs during New Zealand’s 107-run chase, even though he had an outstanding record of more than 500 Test wickets. The visitors were already at 97/2.
“I was aware that Ashwin would be under-bowled, but I never thought that would be the case. His Test wicket total exceeds 500. Why did he not join Jasprit Bumrah in the attack when you were defending 107? A lot of thoughts go through your head, so even good captains make mistakes. I don’t know why that didn’t happen, but the coach’s responsibility of providing ongoing direction is crucial in this situation,” Tiwary continued.
The former also drew attention to the coach-captain relationship and implied that Gambhir did not adequately mentor Sharma. He also discussed how selection choices affect player morale, specifically in relation to the absence of pacer Akash Deep.
“Kash Deep’s confidence must have taken a serious hit after learning that he wasn’t included in the starting lineup.
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A lot of thoughts go through your head, so even good captains make mistakes. In this case, the coach’s function of providing ongoing direction is crucial, although I’m not sure why it did not occur,” he said.