 "Shape up or ship out: Is Gambhir talking tough to Team India after MCG loss?")
All is not well in the Indian cricket team’s dressing room after the loss against Australia in the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). According to a report in The Indian Express, head coach Gautam Gambhir reportedly lashed out at the team for not following the team plan and not playing according to the situation.
India trails Australia 1-2 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after its 184-run loss in the fourth match at the MCG. While the underwhelming performances of senior players like captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been under the radar for somet time, the approach of younger players like Yashaswi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant has also been questioned.
According to the report, Gambhir questioned the players for not playing according to the situation and instead doing their own thing in the name of ‘natural game’. While the coach did not take any names, his purported remarks could be directed at young turks like Pant and Jaiswal, who fell playing rash strokes in the second innings. Even all-rounder Washington Sundar failed to farm the strike while batting with tailenders at a time when the team needed to survive just 15 overs to draw the Test match.
Gambhir is learned to have said that since he took over as head coach on July 9, 2024, he has let the team decide what they want to do but that this won't be the agenda going forward. He has also warned the players that those not abiding by the pre-decided team strategy would be shown the door, the report claims, citing sources.
Tensions in the dressing room
The atmosphere in the dressing room is far from ideal. The team has faced little success since Gambhir took over as head coach from Rahul Dravid, with a series loss against Sri Lanka in ODIs, a clean sweep by New Zealand in home Tests, and losing two Tests in the ongoing series against Australia. Ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin announcing his retirement from international cricket in the middle of the Australia series has further fuelled criticism of his leadership.
According to The Indian Express report, Gambhir has drawn a red line, telling the team that he has had enough, especially with batsmen who have been underperforming since the Bangladesh Test series in September 2024.
Star cricketer Virat Kohli’s lean patch doesn’t seem to end as he has struggled against the fifth stump line in the ongoing Australia series. Kohli, who was leading the Test centuries’ race among the ‘Fab Four’ till 2020, has managed to score just three tons in the past five years and is now in the last spot.
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Skipper Rohit Sharma faces a double challenge with questions being raised over his leadership as he struggles with his poor form with the bat. The fact that the team has looked miserable after he took over the captaincy from deputy Jasprit Bumrah, who led the team to a stunning victory in the first Test at Perth, has only solidified criticism against his captaincy.
The report further claims that there are at least a couple of players in the team who are harbouring captaincy ambitions. A senior player has been trying to project himself as an interim leadership option in case Rohit Sharma steps down, arguing that the young guns aren't ready to take over leadership roles.
Gambhir wanted Pujara back in squad
The news report, citing sources, further claims that Gambhir wanted Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara back in the team for the Australia tour. Pujara, who has been out of favour since the World Test Championship final in June 2023, was a key reason India emerged victorious in the last two Border-Gavaskar series played on Australian soil. Even after the first Test in Perth which India won, Gambhir was still talking about Pujara, the report claims.
Notably, Pujara was dropped due to a prolonged period of inconsistent performances. Since 2020, he has scored only 1,455 runs in 52 innings at an average of 26.69, with only one century and 11 half-centuries. In his last game, the ICC World Test Championship final against Australia in June 2023, Pujara managed scores of 14 and 27.
However, his replacement at No.3, Shubman Gill, has averaged just 38 after playing 11 Tests in that position. In fact, Gill was dropped from the team in the fourth Test against Australia at MCG to accommodate out-of-form skipper Rohit Sharma in the top order.
Barring Yashaswi Jaiswal and, to an extent, KL Rahul, the specialist batsmen have failed to fire in the ongoing Australia series.
What next for the Indian team?
The fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia is scheduled to take place from January 3 to January 7, 2025, at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). India needs to win this game in order to draw the series and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
However, a win at SCG won’t help Team India secure a place in the World Test Championship final. India's qualification depends on the outcomes of other matches, particularly Australia’s forthcoming series against Sri Lanka.
If Australia wins at least one Test against Sri Lanka, they will surpass India's win percentage, thereby securing their spot in the WTC final against South Africa. Conversely, if Sri Lanka wins both matches against Australia, they could achieve a win percentage of 53.85 per cent, potentially surpassing Australia.