Former Indian chief selector Sandeep Patil has come out in strong support of the current head coach Gautam Gambhir ahead of the two-Test series against Sri Lanka, which is scheduled to start on Saturday, August 15, in Galle.
Speaking exclusively to The Times of India, Patil asserted that the two-Test tour of Sri Lanka would be crucial for everyone, including players and Gambhir. He went on to add that the Indian team prepared on good tracks, while touring sides came prepared by practising on turning tracks.
“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 told PTI.
Sandeep Patil Breaks Silence:
For India to make it to the WTC 2025-27 final, they need to win at least three out of their four Tests in Sri Lanka and New Zealand. India is currently holding the fifth spot in the WTC standings, with a point percentage of 48.15, and Sri Lanka is placed sixth with 41.67.
On the other hand, former Indian opening batter Lalchand Rajput has also come out in support of the head coach, stating that the team is going through a transition across all three formats of the game.
“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 has a new T20 captain in Shreyas Iyer and has tried several new players in the T20 series in England,” Lalchand Rajput said.
