Nitish Kumar Reddy was primarily preferred over the seasoned spinning duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja for the opening Test against Australia to ease off the pressure from the frontline quicks in Perth
With three days remaining for the opening Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth, the Indian think tank led by head coach Gautam Gambhir has been challenged on several fronts.
“Their last two series wins out here they had Ravi Shastri who was fantastic,” Paine said.
While Gambhir is hopeful of Rohit’s availability, he is also happy with the options — both from an opening and leadership standpoint, in case Rohit doesn’t make it.
“What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket? I think he should think about Australian cricket. More importantly, I have got no concerns whatsoever for Virat and Rohit,” Gambhir said in the press conference ahead of the team’s departure for a challenging five-Test tour to Australia.
In a video posted by the BCCI on social media, Gambhir was made to sit in front of a laptop to play the message which he didn’t know came from Dravid.
Young batting gun and vice-captain in the white-ball formats, Shubman Gill will look to make the most of the opportunity to cement his place and others like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh and even Riyan Parag will look to do the same.
Former India coach and noted commentator Ravi Shastri believes Gautam Gambhir can make an immediate impact in his new role as head coach because he’s a “contemporary” mentor and already close to the team.
New coach expects Ro-Ko to continue till 2027 ODI WC; opens up about relationship with Kohli
Former Indian leg spinner Sairaj Bahatule will be joining Gautam Gambhir’s coaching staff for the white-ball series vs Sri Lanka set to begin on July 27, says a report.
