IND vs BAN: Ex-India wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik has reckoned that under Gautam Gambhir's guidance, the Men in Blue would succeed, due to his well-known aggression which usually is a way to protect the team. Karthik made these comments during a Legends League cricket event and also emphasized how Gambhir's style of play would help the current Indian team thrive.
"His aggression has generally come out in protection of his players and that is something the current lot of players will enjoy. Knowing him, he is not someone who gets angry for the heck of it," Karthik told reporters at the event. "I'm sure he will have his turn with strong words for whoever it is required, and it is in his best interest to get the best out of the players," he revealed.
Although his aggression is a sign of his style of play and coaching stint, Karthik revealed that Gambhir's aggressive nature is intentional and calculated as it's done for the team's best interest. The two-match Test series against Bangladesh, which would begin on Thursday, is Gambhir's first Test assignment as head coach. He does boast of a certain experience of coaching in T20 formats, but this would be the first time that he would be doing so in the longest format. Karthik admitted that this lack of experience would be going in Gambhir's mind but he still backed him to fight against all odds.
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"He has been a part of numerous T20 tournaments. But this Test series will be completely new for him as a coach and it must be playing at the back of his mind. He is someone who has navigated through tough waters. He's got the acumen to understand the pulse of the game, which is extremely important as a coach. He is at a very early stage as a coach, so it will be interesting how it pans out. However, I have confidence that he will deliver on all aspects. So far, it has worked well for him," he said.
Bangladesh challenge
Under Gambhir's guidance, the Rohit Sharma-led side would be playing their first Test match against Bangladesh, who themselves are riding high on confidence after their historic 2-0 series win against Pakistan. He also sent a stern warning to the Bangla Tigers, who would face quite a few challenges while playing in India.
"It will start with a lot of confidence from Bangladesh. (For India) it's about understanding that they are playing a slightly different Bangladesh team. But, India in India is a different kettle of fish to beat. It's not going to be in any way as easy as compared to going outside and beating other countries in their backyard", he said.
"Many teams have come to India and found it challenging and Bangladesh will also find its challenges in the next couple of weeks," he revealed. He also acknowledged that India's home advantage and the pool of talent give them an upper edge on their homework.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Talking about the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series against Australia, which will be held later this month in Perth, Karthik made a bold prediction of this mouth-watering clash. He realizes the strength Australia has, which is also the defending WTC championship.
"The Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be a challenge for India. The current Australian team is in great form and is a well-oiled unit. It's no fluke that they won the World Test Championship," he added.
Besides Australia's strength, Karthik also reckoned that India's grit and determination would make it an exciting contest. "It will be tough for India, but given their resilience, it will be a wonderful series to watch", he concluded.