• Source:JND
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After humiliating defeats against Sri Lanka in the ODI series after 27 years and New Zealand in Tests at home, Gautam Gambhir has come under scrutiny and put him under immense pressure barely three months into his appointment as the head coach of Team India.

As per a report in PTI, the highly anticipated tenure of India's new head coach has gotten off to an underwhelming start, with early signs indicating a rocky road ahead. Despite being hailed as a good appointment and presenting an important role in the selection committee for the Australia tour, the former India opener's initial performance review paints a concerning image.

Unless there is a remarkable turnaround in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, Gambhir, who was given freedom in selection matters, may not have as much vote in matters involving the team in the coming times.

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Right after Gambhir took over the reins, India lost an ODI series to Sri Lanka for the first time in 27 years, and then New Zealand completed a 3-0 whitewash of his side in Tests at home on Sunday, something the team never experienced in its long cricketing journey.

As criticism mounts, doubts are being cast on the team management's decision-making, particularly in regards to the pitch preparation for the Mumbai match.

Despite being aware of the top-order's persistent struggles against quality spin bowling on turning tracks over the past six to seven years, the decision to opt for a rank turner raises questions about the team's prudence.

Even Gambhir's philosophy of playing the same way, come hell or high water, is something that those associated closely with Indian cricket have failed to fathom.

"Gautam Gambhir was given access which his predecessors Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid didn't have. The BCCI's rule book doesn't allow coaches to be a part of the selection committee meetings, but for Australia tour selection meeting, an exception was made. The head coach was allowed to attend considering the magnitude of the tour," a senior BCCI source told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

The Indian team's tactical decisions have come under severe scrutiny. Two particularly baffling choices that have raised eyebrows are the decision to send pace bowler Mohammed Siraj as a night-watchman on the second evening of the third Test against New Zealand in Mumbai, and the demotion of Sarfaraz Khan to the No. 8 spot in the first innings.

At least two players -- Delhi and KKR speedster Harshit Rana and Andhra and SRH all-rounder Nitish Reddy -- are in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) squad on the insistence of the head coach.

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However, Rana wasn't given any white-ball game in either Sri Lanka or during the home series against Bangladesh. It was reported that he was released before the last match as he was unwell but within a week, he was back bowling in the India nets in Bengaluru. And then, he had a good Ranji Trophy outing against Assam.

There was a school of thought that believed Rana, rather than featuring in Ranji Trophy, could have been sent to Australia with the India A team as playing one or two first-class games on bouncy tracks there would have allowed him to hit the right length before the Test series.

Instead, he was turned into a net bowler for the just-concluded Test series in which two of the three tracks were rank turners. Coming to Reddy, he got into a tangle while facing a short ball in the 'A' game and his bowling, which is certainly not good enough to be among the main five bowlers, has also raised concerns.

Impressed with Reddy's T20 skills, Gambhir was convinced that he could be the ideal replacement for Hardik Pandya as the seam-bowling all-rounder.

The Australia series will be an acid test for Gambhir as he might have to also become the harbinger of doom for some senior players and show them the mirror as the board watches his moves from the sidelines.
The whitewash has also put the maverick Delhi man under the lens. 

(With PTI Inputs)