Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli’s first overseas Test series? A 4-1 loss in England back in 2018.
Rahul Dravid and Kohli’s first overseas assignment? Lost 2-1 in South Africa in 2021.
But Gautam Gambhir’s first overseas Test series with a full-time captain in Subhamn Gill? It kicked off with a 2-2 draw in England. And let’s be honest, it feels like a win for the future of Indian cricket.
So, where are all those folks now who were crying that Gambhir was ruining the team?
“Oh no, Arshdeep isn’t playing, this will backfire.”
“Why is Prasidh Krishna getting another chance?”
“Kuldeep Yadav’s not in the playing XI, we’re one bowler short!”
Well? Got your answers? Bubble burst? A lot of those hot takes must still be sitting in people’s drafts. Honestly, just delete them. Every single call by this team management clicked.
Prasidh Krishna, the same guy written off after the Birmingham Test, picked up 8 wickets in total at the Oval.
Karun Nair, who most people thought had run out of chances, scored a clutch fifty in the first innings.
Even sending Akashdeep in as nightwatchman paid off. The man scored more than some top-order batters! That’s called backing your players, and boy, did it work.
Every coach deserves some breathing room, but many experts and fans didn’t even give Gambhir that. From the moment he stepped in, he was under the microscope. People were just waiting for a slip-up. But instead of collapsing under pressure, Gambhir and Gill flipped the script. And it's not just Test cricket. Remember how Gambhir's decision to back Varun Chakaravarthy for the Champions Trophy proved to be a masterstroke?
They’ve shown that this is a new India, one that backs its players, takes bold calls, and delivers when it matters. Now it’s our turn to back them the same way, because this Team India, we’ve all seen the kind of potential they have.
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