Mumbai: India's Head Coach Gautam Gambhir dismissed recent criticism by former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who questioned Virat Kohli's recent form, suggesting that "any other player wouldn’t have survived in the team" with only two centuries in five years.
Gambhir, however, firmly backed Kohli and Rohit Sharma, responding, "What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket? I think he should think about Australian cricket. And more importantly, I've got no concerns whatsoever for Virat and Rohit. I think they are incredibly tough men. They've achieved a lot for Indian cricket, and they will continue to achieve a lot in the future as well."
"For me, the most important thing is that they still work really hard, and they're still passionate, they still want to achieve a lot more. And that is something which is very important. The hunger in the dressing room is incredibly important for me and for the entire group of people as well in that dressing room, and I feel there's a lot of hunger, especially after what has happened in the last series," he told reporters here on Monday.
Their recent form is a significant concern as India face a must-win situation against Australia, needing a 4-1 series victory to secure a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final on their own terms. It is therefore crucial for the duo to regain their form in this pivotal series if India are to advance to their third consecutive WTC final.
Amid questions over Rohit Sharma’s availability for the first Test in Perth, Gambhir also confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah, India's vice-captain, would step in as captain if needed. This announcement brings stability to the squad as they prepare for a challenging start in Australia.
Gambhir then highlighted KL Rahul’s versatility as a potential backup opener, emphasising his adaptability across batting positions.
"Yes, there are times when you go with experienced players as well, I think, and that is the quality of a man that he can actually bat at the top of the order. He can bat at number three, and he can actually bat number six as well. So you need quite a lot of talent to be doing these kinds of jobs as well. And he's kept wickets in one-day format as well," he said.
"So imagine how many countries have players like KL who can actually open the batting and can bat at number six as well. So I feel that if needed, he can do the job for us, especially if Rohit is not available for the first Test match," he said.
When asked about promoting Shubman Gill up the order, Gambhir remained non-committal on the playing eleven, stating, "I can't let you know about the playing eleven. Obviously, you got to keep asking me this question. But the point is that we will try and get the best combination possible who can do the job for us in Perth, and be it Shubman opening the batting or Abhimanyu Easwaran or KL. I mean that all depends on what we feel is the right combination."
With Gambhir’s confidence in the team’s depth and leadership, India looks poised to put forth a strong and cohesive unit as they open the series in Perth.