"Why Only Gautam Gambhir?" Indian Players Cautioned Over Rising Pressure On Coach

Pressure is increasing on India head coach Gautam Gambhir, and there's no denying that. After a horror tour of the United Kingdom, the Sri Lanka Test series serves Gambhir an opportunity to redeem himself. Many feel that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could take a call on the head coach's future if the Sri Lanka assignment also ends on a bitter note, especially considering Team India's poor standing in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table. However, former BCCI selection committee chief Sandeep Patil feels it isn't right to single out one person.

A lot seems to be brewing in the Indian team, especially as the plans for next year's ODI World Cup start to take shape. Patil, however, feels if India fail to do well against the Lankans, things could turn out to be as bad for Indian players as the coach.

"The Sri Lanka tour is crucial for everyone; why only Gambhir? If Gambhir has failed to perform, so have the players. It is not right to pick on one guy. We were not able to play spinners and lost the home series against New Zealand because they came prepared. They practised on turning wickets. Whereas our team was practising at the CoE on good tracks," Sandeep Patil was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

Former India cricketer Lalchand Rajput also echoed Patil's sentiments, saying a coach is bound to go through ups and downs, especially in a rebuilding phase.

"I still feel that as a coach, there will be ups and downs. You can't be winning all the time. The Indian team is going through a rebuilding process. And when the team is going through it, you have to give more time to the players and the coach. Greats like Rohit and Kohli have quit two formats, while India have a new T20 captain in Shreyas Iyer and have tried several new players in the T20 series in England," said Rajput.

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