NEW DELHI: In light of India’s declining performance, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Snehasish Ganguly supported head coach Gautam Gambhir and believes he should be given more time.
The Indian squad has been in ruins ever since Gambhir took over as head coach and started the era with his regime selections, particularly in the Test format.
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It all began when, for the first time in 27 years, India lost a bilateral ODI series to Sri Lanka. After defeating Bangladesh in the home series, India enjoyed a little breather, but things quickly deteriorated.
When New Zealand arrived in India, they stunned the hosts with an incredible display. On paper, India was expected to easily defeat the Kiwis in red-ball cricket, particularly at home. However, the home citadel was breached, and India experienced a historic whitewash for the first time in 24 years.
A further blow to India’s already open wounds was the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India suffered a 1-3 series loss and lost the coveted title for the first time in ten years.
The current situation of the modern giants has gotten worse as a result of reports of the continuous rift inside the Indian team.
Ganguly stepped in to support the struggling coach as the Indian team is in disarray and there is question over the future of the team’s Indian stalwarts.
“I feel happy because of his approach. As a coach, he got success for KKR after 12 years. We should give him some time. It has been some months since he has been handling the team after Rahul Dravid,” Ganguly told ANI.
The next test for Gambhir will be a five-match Twenty20 International series against England, which starts in Kolkata on Wednesday.
The three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) that will follow the five-match contest will be the perfect platform to get ready for the Champions Trophy next month.
Ganguly was also excited with Mohammed Shami‘s comeback to the field. Shami will perform in front of an enthusiastic Kolkata crowd making his comeback after a year.
When discussing Shami’s comeback, Ganguly emphasized the pacer’s recent exploits for Bengal, where he participated in six to seven games and showed outstanding form.
“The most important thing is the whole Kolkata crowd will be watching Mohammed Shami,” Ganguly said.
“He came back after a year and bowled very well for Bengal. I was observing his bowling, and he seems to be in great shape. He looks like the old Mohammed Shami–fit and raring to go,” Ganguly added.
Ganguly said he was confident in Shami’s potential to have a big effect because the bowler appeared sharp and prepared for the contest.
“Overall, it will be a very good match,” he noted, emphasizing the excitement surrounding Shami’s return to Eden Gardens.