[PPS]

Originally Posted by harry10

Also. KL is still the same. All that promise at start of series and he is still averaging 37.Clutch moment comes and KL fails. Needs to make atleast a 100 next game to show he is truly back.

KL has done his job of blunting out the new ball on a few occasions this tour! In SENA, there is no other better option than KL at the top of the order. I know he failed at Melbourne but then thats what you get when you demote him to no.3 to make place at the top for a non-performing Captain. Its not that he played some loose reckless shot to get out like a few others.

[NomadSK]

Originally Posted by PPS

Its not that he played some loose reckless shot to get out like a few others.

Well this is the most important part in test matches. This is how KL fared so far;

1st Test 1st innings - Scored 26 of 74, Purely unlucky, thanks to DRS
1st Test 2nd innings - Scored 77 of 176, On stump delivery, angling away, tries to defend, hard luck, but blunted the new ball for thankless Kohli's century.

2nd (D/N) Test 1st innings - Scored 37 of 64, almost blunted the new ball for 20 overs, for King Kohli.
2nd (D/N) Test 2nd innings - Scored 7 of 10, Poor shot selection, tried to pull an incoming delivery too early in the game.

3rd Test 1st innings - Scored 84 of 139, Purely unlucky, looked the best here, Smith took a blinder of catch.
3rd Test 2nd innings - Not out on 4 of 7, rain intervenes.

4th Test 1st innings - Scored 24 of 42, not a loose shot, the delivery was too good for any batsman.
4th Test 2nd innings - Scored 0 of 5, not a loose shot, the delivery was too good for any batsman.

So overall if you see 4 tests, only at one instance he had been caught off-guard with a loose shot selection. In fact he surprised many with his leaving abilities and playing close to the body.

[Shumi_21]

Happy new year guys! 2025 has started with a bang for us cricket fans. Indian Express has now come up with an exclusive of behind the scenes drama that's been going on since the Bangladesh tests. Quoting parts of the article below:

SHORTLY AFTER India lost seven wickets in 20.4 overs and handed the Melbourne Test to Australia, head coach Gautam Gambhir had some stern words for the entire squad in the dressing room on Monday. “Bahut ho gaya (I’ve had enough),” the former India opener is learnt to have said, not holding back in his assessment of the team.

Though Gambhir didn’t take names, the gist of his speech was about how the players were doing their own thing in the name of “natural game”, instead of playing according to the situation.

Gambhir, who took over as coach on July 9, is learnt to have talked about how he had let the team do what it wanted for the “last six months” but would now “decide” how they would play. In a veiled warning to players to toe the line, he is learnt to have said that going ahead, those who don’t abide by his pre-decided team strategy would be given a “thank you”.

Sources said Gambhir addressed the conflict between intent and team interest. He told the players that instead of executing the “plans discussed”, they were doing their own thing. He discussed how the batters had been underperforming for a while now, since the home series against Bangladesh in September.

Multiple sources in Indian cricket have said the atmosphere in the dressing room is far from ideal. There has been some tension in the camp for a while now, in fact, since before the first Test in Australia. It’s learnt that Gambhir had pressed for the inclusion of Cheteshwar Pujara, the out-of-favour Test specialist with 100 matches behind him, but the selectors shot it down. Even after the Perth Test that India won, Gambhir was still talking about Pujara, it’s learnt.

When a team is in a transitional phase, as Team India is at the moment, the rising ambitions and aspirations of individuals can often be a handicap for the squad. It didn’t help that Rohit, the designated captain, wasn’t there for the early part of the tour, only landing in the middle of the first Test. By then, it’s learnt, there were at least a couple of players — all nursing captaincy ambitions — who were openly claiming that it would be up to them for India to do something special on this tour.

A senior player has been taking a rather active interest in portraying himself as “Mr Fix-It”. Those in the know say he isn’t convinced that the young guns are ready to take over leadership roles, and is ready to project himself as an interim option.

Ashwin's decision to leave the tour midway also says much. His father made an emotional statement that his son may have quit because of “humiliation”. While Ashwin later tried to play this down, it has added to the intrigue.

Perhaps, in the here and now, the tough line that Gambhir has adopted can work in cutting down egos and regathering focus, but that’s not a long-term solution. Successful democratic sporting systems don’t run on fear and coercion. A tough hand may be the need of the hour, but after the dust settles on this tour, a balanced and harmonising plan is needed.

My speculations: The couple of players nursing captaincy ambitions claiming it would be upto them to do something special in the BGT are Pant & Gill. Rishabh was publically admonished and Gill was strangely left out at Melbourne.

Mr Fix-it is probably Ash or Kohli. Ash could've retired because GG didn't accept his interim captain proposal. Ashwin even talked about captaincy ambition on the Sky Sports interview. Star Sports was running basically propaganda about how "King Kohli" was "advising" Rohit in captaincy decisions. Similar social media campaigns have been running concurrently, decrying Rohit and praising Kohli, when the fact remains Rohit has been shit for a year, but we have been carrying Kohli for almost 5 years now.

The most dismaying part was Ravi Shastri claiming on TV that Rohit is done while Kohli can easily play for another 3-4 years. It was a shocking statement from the usually blunt Shastri, so I looked into it and I found Shastri and Kohli are partners in a sports management company called Sporting Beyond! And I understood why Ravi wants Kohli to play on.

I'm supporting GG if he is serious about cracking the whip to force our "superstars" to let go of their ego in favour of the team. It might cause friction in the short term and the affected players' PR agencies will definitely cause a hue and cry, but Indian cricket will ultimately benefit. Start by kicking out Rohit & Kohli.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Edit: I’ll probably put my neck out and predict that either Kohli or Rohit are going to follow Ashwin and quit international cricket after this series.

So my prediction is turning out right.

Rohit potentially to quit test cricket after the Sydney test; unless India somehow qualify for the WTC final. That is not going to happen so Rohit is moving out for sure post Sydney.

I do hope the selectors take his poor form into consideration and even consider resting him for the Sydney test. This para from the Wisden is so telling about his current form

You would still have seen him struggle in Australia. However hard you try, you would have found it difficult to defend 31 runs from 110 balls across five innings. Stretch it to the New Zealand series at home and you get 122 runs in 11 innings. Include the Bangladesh series and you get 164 in 15 for the season. He has simply not scored runs.

[deehunk]

If Rohit and Kohli stay on after the Australia series, Gambhir will quit before the England series. Something is wrong between players and management, probably factional differences, but if this is not sorted out before the Champions Trophy, Indian cricket will go down like WI and Sri Lanka in 2025.

[Eddy]

If not Ashwin, Mr Fix-it is KL Rahul according to me. Doesn't look like Kohli harbors any captaincy ambition.

[Ananthang]

Originally Posted by deehunk

If Rohit and Kohli stay on after the Australia series, Gambhir will quit before the England series. Something is wrong between players and management, probably factional differences, but if this is not sorted out before the Champions Trophy, Indian cricket will go down like WI and Sri Lanka in 2025.

You are forgetting BCCI and India are money source for ICC. SL and WI boards do not have funds that we have, cricket is pure entertainment and India will keep getting in to least Semi Final level in major tournaments. AUS, ENG, SA along with IND run the cricket world.

[Vinod_nair]

Like one learned gentleman on TV said, come 8th Jan we'll all forget about the BGT etc., and start taking and speculating about the forthcoming series and beyond.

[harry10]

Originally Posted by Eddy

If not Ashwin, Mr Fix-it is KL Rahul according to me. Doesn't look like Kohli harbors any captaincy ambition.

Can't be KL.
He just got back. Performances are decent but not ground breaking.

Has to be Kohli or it can also be Bumrah. Bumrah has Captained a bit when needed and he clearly likes it. Plus he gives it all and he can be easily termed as Mr Fix-it. No surprises we won the only test of the series when he was captain.

[Shumi_21]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

This para from the Wisden is so telling about his current form

While I do agree Rohit's form has fallen off a cliff, and that Kohli is the better batter too, the article has slyly chosen a time range of stats to not include Rohit's performance against England earlier this year. Kohli has been given a pass on past glory, which the writer surprisingly uses to unfavourably compare against Gill too?


This is a more accurate representation that includes all innings in 2024.

The narrative building has begun, Ravi Shastri, Sanju Manju have already said Kohli should be carried for another 3-4 years, while Rohit should retire. We went through the exact same circus of articles picking and choosing stats that benefit Kohli when Pujara & Rahane were dropped. I'm tired of this nonsense, Kohli has been getting out the exact same way fishing outside the off stump for 5 years! Would you imagine a Smith, Williamson or Root doing the same and continuing to play for their country?

The simple fact is both Rohit and Kohli are deadweights holding the test team back and both should be dropped.

Originally Posted by Eddy

Doesn't look like Kohli harbors any captaincy ambition.

Even if "interim" captaincy extends his career for a few years?

[Eddy]

Mr fixit does not want long term captaincy, which Bumrah wants so can’t be him.

KL is the only one who fits the bill. Maybe Jadeja.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by Shumi_21

While I do agree Rohit's form has fallen off a cliff, and that Kohli is the better batter too, the article has slyly chosen a time range of stats to not include Rohit's performance against England earlier this year.

Nothing wrong in showcasing a specific period; especially when it's recent. If they had ignored a series that falls in-between that period, then that's wrong. Clearly, here they haven't. If we extend back to 2023, I'm sure even more different patterns might emerge. In this case, Rohit's failing miserably since the T20 WC win. Co-incidence? Only guesses can be made.

But key point to digest - in that period, we have gone down from a (potential) definite place in the WTC final to being a 3rd or even maybe a 4th in the overall table. As a captain, he's responsible at multiple levels for that.

The simple fact is both Rohit and Kohli are deadweights holding the test team back and both should be dropped.

Agree - both haven't been doing well. But Rohit bears more weightage given he's the captain. Rohit bears the first axe to fall just because of that. If we as a team were bullish enough, then yes - both (and probably a few more) could be dropped.

[padmrajravi]

KL is too soft to be that person. I feel he just lacks any sort of aggression or confidence to proactively claim a Mr Fix-It role. I don't believe it is Jadeja either. It must be Ashwin and Kohli. Even with RCB, it seems Kohli is trying to get captaincy back.

[PPS]

Originally Posted by Shumi_21

Star Sports was running basically propaganda about how "King Kohli" was "advising" Rohit in captaincy decisions. Similar social media campaigns have been running concurrently, decrying Rohit and praising Kohli, when the fact remains Rohit has been shit for a year, but we have been carrying Kohli for almost 5 years now.

Start Sports is the official cheerleader of the team especially King Kohli! Ideally being the broadcaster you have to be neutral & give a balanced outlook but everything revolves around King Kohli when he's been failing repeatedly since half a decade. And since Rohit hasn't scored runs in months, Star is busy promoting his funny snippets/meme worthy material on their social media platforms!

[NomadSK]

Originally Posted by Shumi_21

I'm supporting GG if he is serious about cracking the whip to force our "superstars" to let go of their ego in favour of the team. It might cause friction in the short term and the affected players' PR agencies will definitely cause a hue and cry, but Indian cricket will ultimately benefit. Start by kicking out Rohit & Kohli.

IMO, he's the one who has created all the mess to start with. If at all BCCI thought he was instrumental in KKR's IPL wins, before handing him the assignment and considering him worthy of it then sorry, It goes to Chandrakant pandit, the astute coach he is and worked silently behind the scenes. He even managed to make Vidharbha team win Ranji trophy twice and I guess finalist (once ?), in his tenure, when they were not a force to reckon with. As a coach, he has turned the corner literally, with an unprecedented six Ranji trophy titles. 3 with Mumbai, 2 with Vidhrabha, 1 with MP.

GG brings in players and staff which he thinks are deserving and not the ones who have toiled hard for years and years in different format of games and have shown their mettle over a period of time. Ryan parag, Nitish Rana, Navdeep Saini, his former Kolkata Knight Riders mates, Ryan Ten Doeschate and Abhishek Nayar, NKR, Harshit Rana and probably many more. He wanted Jonty too from LSG, Oh well Vinay kumar who played along with GG for KKR during his play days, he wanted him as a bowling coach. It was a nexus between Rohit/GG/Abhishek Nayar, (when Rohit's career was revived by Abhishek Nayar, after his abysmal performance on field and poor fitness levels) looks like they want to make team based on their personal interests. Guess one can see the pattern, how his brain works. It looks so unprofessional when teams are made on some personal agendas or PR related concerns, rather than on meritocracy.

If BCCI's preference to simply hand over the keys to the Indian cricket kingdom to Gambhir is irritating, raising some eyebrows - and even problematic - there is another challenge that could be even more tricky. At only in early 40's, having last played first-class cricket and IPL as recently as 2018, Gambhir has shared dressing rooms with several current Indian cricketers, so called stars hitman and king. And, more infamously, has rubbed some of them the wrong way as an opponent, which doesn't go in the best interest of cricket. Thanks goodness they didn't take half baked Shami and would have thrown him under the bus. Luckily his shelf life has increased due to this decision.

To me GG is more of a politician than a sports person. He corrupted the Indian team in his playing days too with lobbying/politicizing when Indian team had 7/8 players belonging to the north region.

For all the pseudo flamboyancy GG shows in his persona, he's the one with the most feebleminded approach. We thought he will take this team to a new heights, but has taken the team to new lows, with 3-0 white wash at home that too to NZ, and that too failing on spinning tracks to mediocre bowlers at best, wow, lost ODI series to SL, just managed somehow to scrape through Bangladesh. Lots of players are playing contrasting cricket under his so called pathetic management, contrary to what they should be required for playing test cricket. Around nine Tests and few ODI's since his arrival have thrown up four defeats, a draw and three victories (2 with BD). These are not results that the fiery opener (once upon a time) would have envisaged.

He will go down as the worst coach in the Indian cricket history, I have said this before. Forget about whipping when all are hands in glove, there's a saying sh*t rolls down the hill !!