Gautam Gambhir: Gautam Gambhir’s cricket team looked clueless in the second ODI in Raipur against South Africa. Seems like even 358 runs are not enough to win. Who’s to be blamed?
It seems team India has made it a habit to lose cricket matches from invincible positions. After posting a mammoth 358 runs against South Africa thanks to valiant centuries by Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad, the team mentored by Gautam Gambhir was left clueless on protecting the massive total.
Who’s to be Blamed-Gautam Gambhir, Dew-affected Pitch, or Directionless Bowling?
The list is endless. From Coach Gautam Gambhir’s reckless selection and team antics to poor captaincy, India literally just served the match to team South Africa on a wicket that was ideal for any team bowling second. Guess what! Team India under Gautam Gambhir just lost from a winning position, yet again!
Gambhir-Rohit-Kohli Issues
Media reports in the past have suggested that things are not good between team India coach and the two star batsmen – Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Interestingly, some believed Gambhir was behind the decision by Rohit and Kohli to retire from test cricket.
Gautam Gambhir-A Coach who never learns from mistakes and past
The tactics of Indian coach Gautam Gambhir came under intense scrutiny. His decision to play multiple all-rounders like Sundar, Jadeja, and Patel over specialist finishers backfired yet again. The result – team India was left short of firepower in the death overs and unable to defend a massive total in Raipur.
The bowling changes and team placements recommended by Gautam Gambhir failed to control the flow of boundaries, which allowed South Africa to comfortably chase down the otherwise huge target of 359 runs. Many believe that the tactical rigidity of Gambhir to adapt to the dew-affected conditions worsened the winning chances of team India.
Coach Fails Again
The coach’s over-reliance on inexperienced, untested batters was always going to be a gamble in high-pressure matches. Even Kohli and Gaikwad’s valiant centuries were not enough for team India to register a victory against a team who was short on paper. Yet, there were no learnings from the past – same tactics, same result. A loss from a winnable position, yet again for Gautam Gambhir’s team India!
Middle-Overs’ Meltdown
Team India’s spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar failed to put pressure on the opposition batsmen, especially Aiden Markram (110 off 98), Matthew Breetzke (68), and Dewald Brevis (54) who toyed with India’s bowling. The late cameo by Corbin Bosch sealed the chase of South Africa with confidence, with 4 balls to spare.
Spineless Bowling, Poor Fielding
Lack of clarity, execution, and variety in death bowling along with India’s poor fielding standards gave team South Africa a much-deserved victory. If this was not all, unnecessary overthrows and misfields helped South Africa punish the lapses of India with clinical precision.
Now comes the big question – will team India under Gautam Gambhir be able to win the third and final ODI or will this series also go South Africa’s way?
