AUS vs IND: Coach Gautam Gambhir to return from Australia for family emergency
India head coach Gautam Gambhir is set to leave Australia in the middle of Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to a family emergency, India Today has learnt.
Gambhir, who was at the helm of India’s historic victory at the Optus Stadium in Perth, will however, return back before the second Test match, set to be hosted in Adelaide.
Sources in the know confirmed India Today about the development hours after India’s win in the first Test match of the series. India went 1-0 up in the 5-match series with a 295-run win in Perth, as they make a late push for the World Test Championship final spots.
The Indian team is set to travel to Canberra on Wednesday for a two-day pink-ball tour game. However, Gautam Gambhir will not be part of the squad for this practice match, which is scheduled to begin on Saturday. The team is preparing for the day-night Test in Adelaide, which is expected to be a tough outing against the Australian pace attack.
Indina team are expected to have a selection headache for the 2nd Test match as Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill return to the playing XI. On Day 4 of the series opener against Australia, Rohit Sharma was seen sitting alongside Gambhir in the Indian dressing room. Rohit was also spotted practicing with the pink ball in the nets on Monday, working on his skills ahead of the crucial clash in Adelaide.
Earlier, Jasprit Bumrah led a spirited group of Indian cricketers to a commanding Test victory on Australian soil, securing a massive win by 295 runs. This remarkable turnaround is sure to be remembered as one of the golden moments in Indian cricket history.
As stand-in skipper, Bumrah set the tone with an exceptional match haul of 8/72, helping India dismiss the hosts, chasing a monumental target of 534, for just 238 runs in 58.4 overs on the fourth afternoon of the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. This triumph catapulted India to the top of the World Test Championship standings, with a percentage point tally of 61.11.
Credit must also be given to head coach Gautam Gambhir, who faced significant criticism after India’s defeat to the Black Caps. Many believed that young talents Reddy and Harshit were handed Test debuts at his insistence. Under the Perth sun, the usually stoic Gambhir managed a rare smile as Harshit and Nitish, following the plans laid out for them, played pivotal roles in the victory.