IND vs BAN: Ex-India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has urged the fans to closely follow India's team selection for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh as this will show the kind of rapport Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir share. During an interaction on ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar emphasized that although Rohit and Rahul Dravid might have shared a brilliant partnership in the last few years, it remains to be seen how Rohit and Gambhir's relationship would turn out.
Manjrekar reckoned that a team's playing XI shows whether these two are on the same page or if Gambhir brings changes to the team to inculcate his style of play. He also highlighted that in the Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri era, it was quite visible that the head coach made more decisions in revealing selections.
"It was very clear that Rohit and Rahul clicked together. When Virat and Ravi were there, some of the decisions, especially while picking the playing XI gave you an idea of how much influence the coach had on the captain. I think you will start getting an idea about their dynamics with the selections that they make," Manjrekar was quoted as saying on ESPNcricinfo.
Recommended For You
He also highlighted that the blunt side of Gambhir which the country has witnessed when he was commentating is just a side of his personality and that he was hoping that the ex-KKR skipper would be a little softer behind the scenes. He also revealed that Gambhir is someone, who can read the game well and that he made clinical decisions instead of emotional ones.
"I have known Gambhir for the last 4 years. He is someone who reads the game very well and is someone who can be clinical with Indian cricket and not too emotional. I have always believed that the coach is as good as the team. Indian cricket is in a great state, and hope that continues. What we see of Gambhir is a persona on TV and I think when he is in the dressing room he will change his approach slightly," he concluded.
Since Gautam Gambhir became the head coach, the Men in Blue had won the T20I series against Sri Lanka and lost in the 50-over format against the same opponent. He will aim to create an impact in the upcoming series against Bangladesh, as this will set the foundation for the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia, which will be held later this year.