Head coach Gautam Gambhir lost patience with India’s approach after the Australia defeat, introduced…

Things have changed drastically in the dressing room recently. The same group of Indian batters who struggled during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy went on to deliver a record-breaking performance in England. From the disappointment to remarkable success in the UK, this Indian team was almost unrecognizable during the 25 days of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

KL Rahul scored 532, Ravindra Jadeja scored 516, Rishabh Pant scored 479, and Shubman Gill scored 754 runs. When India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 1-3 and came home bruised, such remarkable feat seemed like a far-off dream. The team mostly stayed the same, except for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Although the ball and the circumstances were different, it is much more difficult to tackle the Duke’s ball in England than it is to face the Kookaburra in Australia.

Head coach Gambhir made sure outdated methods were dropped

Head coach Gambhir, who had seen how Indian batting failed during BGT, made sure that the outdated methods were dropped in favor of more modern, reliable, and effective strategies. According to a report in The Indian Express, Gambhir spearheaded this transformation, which reportedly brought out the best in the the team, particularly the captain and vice-captain.

During the 2020–21 tour, Rishabh Pant had an impressive series in Australia that defined his career. The two Tests in Sydney and Brisbane swiftly propelled him toward the greatness. India was therefore held to high standards when he arrived in Australia with the intention of preserving the BGT for a minimum of a few more years. But the results were disappointing, as there were only 255 runs at an average of 28.33. Shubman Gill also sensed the heat. He only managed 93 runs from three Test matches while batting at No. 3, despite displaying promise in Australia.

Gambhir asked batters to bat for longer and show patienece

Gambhir was very clear on the instruction given to both, bat for longer whereas before for batters, the common theme was ‘show intent’and keep moving, for Gambhir it was about being patient and take your time, and allowing the runs to come to you instead of the other way around. The shift was obvious and benefited. Both Gill and Pant wanted to play the waiting game. Gill was expected to have been a lot more old school in this regard, but seemed to embrace it quite well. Pant, the vice-captain, recognised the moment and was ready to adapt.

According to The Indian Express, inclusion of Sitanshu Kotak bought a sense of calmness in the dressing room. During practice, Gambhir and Kotak would keep a close eye on the batting unit and provide calm, patient guidance always stressing the need for their composure whenever an indication of urgency crept into their demeanor.

Jadeja and Rahul also benefited with this strategy. Both of them showed promise while in Australia but couldn’t turn it into big runs. Both Rahul and Jadeja played a key role helping the series end in a 2-2 draw. With some minor adjustments, they might have done something they haven’t accomplished since 2007.

 

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