“India lo hizo bien a pesar de las decisiones tácticas de Gautam Gambhir, el entrenador en jefe debe tomar una píldora relajada”

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar advised head coach Gautam Gambhir to take a chill pill and be open to facing tough questions from the media. His remarks come after the Indian coach defended captain Shubman Gill’s tactics, dubbing all critics as those who don’t have knowledge about cricket. Manjrekar pointed out that India had done well in this series so far despite Gambhir’s questionable tactical decisions.

“Questions that get under his skin”

Speaking on JioHotstar, Manjrekar pointed out that questions on captain Gill’s tactics seemed to irk Gambhir. He said that there were valid questions and said that it wasn’t about blaming he captain, coach or the team but was for the betterment of the whole team. Manjrekar advised Gambhir to take a chill pill and relax, but said that he doesn’t think Gambhir’s approach towards the media will change.

“Yeah, you can tell there are certain questions that get under his skin – especially when people question Gill as a young captain and batter. And honestly, those are valid doubts. Even people who deeply understand cricket wonder whether this was the right time to hand him that opportunity. I just hope we can all understand this better. It’s not about ‘you guys think’ and ‘we think’ – we’re all part of the same industry and the same country. I’d just like to see him take a chill pill, relax a bit, and be open to tough questions. Whether that will happen, I’m not sure,” said Manjrekar.

Further, the former Indian cricketer said that India had fared well so far despite Gambhir’s tactical decisions. He said that he head coach hadn’t made things clearer tactically with his selections.

“I feel India has done well despite some of his tactical decisions. Let’s not forget: India lost 3-0 at home, New Zealand lost comfortably to Australia. The fight we’ve seen in this team? That’s down to the players. Because tactically, Gambhir hasn’t always made things easier – especially with some of his selections. And to suggest that Karun Nair ‘wasn’t dropped’… come on. You guys see it as a drop; for them, it’s about ‘picking the right team’,” he added.