Brendon McCullum’s bravery is Gautam Gambhir’s poor start as head coach.
Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as the head coach of the Indian team did not start on a promising note. When Rahul replaced Dravid as the head coach in July last year, India’s opener’s expectations skyrocketed.
The Indian great was banned by the BCCI after his coaching success. Under his mentorship, Kolkata Knight Riders played an impressive brand of cricket and won the IPL after a gap of ten years. However, since Gautam Gambhir became the head coach of India, things have not gone as expected.
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Under him, India lost the ODI series to Sri Lanka. It was followed by a humiliating 3-0 defeat in the Test series against New Zealand at home. It was India’s first Test series defeat since the 2012/13 season. India had a chance to bounce back by winning the Test series in Australia, but were completely outplayed as they lost the series 3-1.
The defeat ended India’s chances of reaching the finals of the World Test Championship for the third time in a row. India suffered a Test series defeat against Australia for the first time since 2017. Surprisingly, Gautam Gambhir is facing heat from several quarters.
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Brendon McCullum defends Gautam Gambhir:
As the Indian head coach looks to bounce back, he has received much-needed support from his English counterpart Brendon McCullum.
Speaking to the media ahead of the first T20I between India and England, McCullum defended Gautam Gambhir and hailed him as a great leader. Gambhir also said that he has just started as a head coach, indicating that it is too early to judge him.
“Gautam Gambhir is a great leader. For India, he has just started as head coach,” Brendon McCullum said.
After defending Gambhir, McCullum turned his attention to the upcoming series against India. England are scheduled to play 5 T20Is and 3 ODIs against the Men in Blue. The tour begins this week with the T20I series.
Ahead of the series, McCullum hailed India as a good side but made sure to fire a warning to the hosts. The former New Zealand captain warned India not to take England’s batting line-up lightly: “India are a very good side. But our batting line-up is as powerful as any in world cricket.”
He also said that England will not shy away from playing an exciting brand of cricket, adding, “We play a very watchable style of cricket.”
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Meanwhile, the first T20I between India and England will be played at Eden Gardens on Wednesday (January 22).
