Stop blaming Gambhir alone for India’s Test defeats: Former chief selector

MUMBAI: With Gautam Gambhir facing dense disapproval aft India’s 2-0 Test bid nonaccomplishment to South Africa astatine home, the Team India manager has received beardown backing from 1983 World Cup victor and erstwhile main selector Sandeep Patil. India, nether Gambhir, person endured 2 successive location whitewashes successful Tests — 3-0 to New Zealand past twelvemonth and present to South Africa — prompting calls for a alteration astatine the helm.

Patil, who played 29 Tests and 45 ODIs and has besides served arsenic India manager and president of selectors, believes the attacks connected Gambhir stem from a deficiency of knowing of the complexities of the job. He said helium chose not to remark earlier due to the fact that helium knows “how hard the occupation of coaching India is.”“I’ve noticed that the full of past week that everybody has been passing comments astir Gambhir. However, those who person donned the nationalist cap, taken work arsenic a caput coach, haven’t spoken astir it. Nobody is talking astir the operation of players who person been selected,” helium told TOI. “You played connected a atrocious pitch, you lost. You played connected a bully pitch, you lost. What tin the caput manager do? It is incorrect to constituent fingers astatine lone 1 person.

"For the past 15-17 years, I've been the caput manager of teams from Madhya Pradesh to Kenya, Oman, India Under-19, India A, the elder Indian team, and been the India main selector too. I've handled each kinds of situations, truthful I cognize however hard the occupation is. This is the crushed I didn't talk a connection connected this contented astatine each truthful far."Patil said galore ex-players criticising Gambhir had ne'er coached India. “It’s truly astonishing to maine that those radical who person not been an India manager and gone done that process are passing remarks near and close connected Gambhir,” helium said, adding that Gambhir “knows what helium is doing.”Explaining his support, Patil said helium had watched Gambhir intimately from his aboriginal days. “I was the India A caput manager erstwhile helium started his career. When helium established himself successful the Indian squad arsenic a player, vice-captain and captain, I was the India main selector. I’ve seen him from adjacent quarters till his retirement. So, I cognize him successful and out. Those who don’t cognize him good thin to beryllium captious astir him. He’s an intense, committed person.

”He urged restraint from fans demanding sackings aft each defeat. “We indispensable let the caput coach, selectors and the players clip to settee down. You cannot leap the gun. It’s precise casual to say: ‘Nikalo isko,’ it’s not prudent to sack idiosyncratic similar that,” helium said. “We are an affectional country... but it doesn’t enactment similar that.”Patil reminded that adjacent past coaches struggled initially. “When Rahul Dravid became an India coach, helium had a atrocious start… However, helium finished connected a high.

Duncan Fletcher had a atrocious start… Gary had a atrocious commencement and Anil Kumble endured a unsmooth period.”He said Gambhir needs time. “Gautam’s tenure has conscionable started… you request a bully three, four, 5 years to settee down arsenic a coach. When you person excessively galore options, you marque these mistakes.”Patil besides rejected claims that players prioritise IPL implicit Tests. “How bash we cognize if this is true? It’s a incorrect enactment of thinking,” helium said, urging players to “work connected their basics and deliberation positively.”