This might be the beginning of Indian cricket placing more emphasis on the coach than the captain. Test cricket has largely been a game run by the captain on the field. This might change now. It's probably the first time we have a coach with more power than the captain. At least that's what's visible from the outside.
How long will that power last? Gambhir certainly hasn’t had a great start. Maybe this team sans Kohli and Rohit will be given a bit of time to build. But they have to challenge England and beat WI and SA over the next 8-9 months to get a pass mark.
It might last actually. Public perception in India is fickle. It mixes up formats. A failure in test cricket can easily be mended in perception by some success in white ball cricket. India's White ball teams are almost invincible.
All this assuming that BCCI cares about public perception. I don't think they do.
Interesting dynamic. I guess I didn't allow for any fans rating success in white ball cricket as particularly important in comparison to Test series wins.
You might be onto something with the BCCI and public perception, but Gambhir can't rely on T20s to prop up his ODI and Test record for too long surely.
Billions on the jury. It's a many gallery of judges. It may take a while but I think the quiet brooding types often bring substance to a leadership role. I hope youngish Gil does just that. Ta Gideon.
This is a significant step into the (likely) unknown by the BCCI. No obvious candidate outside Jasper Bumrah, but he is clearly not the preferred choice. Gil is an under immense pressure from Day 1 in Test 1. No honeymoon period unfortunately.
Gambir is likely to be a major voice in the pavilion and on the pitch it would seem. He will like that I think.
All the pressure is on England in this series. Must watch and must win well.
He is no Ganguly or Kohli in temperament, more a throwback to Tendulkar or Dravid which might be telling in how the team approaches its cricket. Yours and Monga's article outline the numerous cricket reasons Shubman has come to the captaincy. No mention anywhere then of India copying the West Indian approach of identifying a new Test captain using psychometric testing "to evaluate leadership style, behaviour, and overall suitability for the role" -https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/roston-chase-succeeds-kraigg-brathwaite-as-west-indies-test-captain-1486126. Laughable on the one hand to the likes of Chappelli, in fact to most punters, the better question may be why corporations in the industrial cricket complex should not have such evidence available when making a final choice?
This might be the beginning of Indian cricket placing more emphasis on the coach than the captain. Test cricket has largely been a game run by the captain on the field. This might change now. It's probably the first time we have a coach with more power than the captain. At least that's what's visible from the outside.
That's a thoughtful conjecture, Rahul.
How long will that power last? Gambhir certainly hasn’t had a great start. Maybe this team sans Kohli and Rohit will be given a bit of time to build. But they have to challenge England and beat WI and SA over the next 8-9 months to get a pass mark.
It might last actually. Public perception in India is fickle. It mixes up formats. A failure in test cricket can easily be mended in perception by some success in white ball cricket. India's White ball teams are almost invincible.
All this assuming that BCCI cares about public perception. I don't think they do.
Interesting dynamic. I guess I didn't allow for any fans rating success in white ball cricket as particularly important in comparison to Test series wins.
You might be onto something with the BCCI and public perception, but Gambhir can't rely on T20s to prop up his ODI and Test record for too long surely.
Billions on the jury. It's a many gallery of judges. It may take a while but I think the quiet brooding types often bring substance to a leadership role. I hope youngish Gil does just that. Ta Gideon.
Certainly an interesting choice. I would have thought being an automatic selection was the first criteria. Second would be to have runs on the board.
Perhaps the extra challenge will help him achieve the heights we all think he can.
Spot on with your first two points, Chris.
Exactly!!
This is a significant step into the (likely) unknown by the BCCI. No obvious candidate outside Jasper Bumrah, but he is clearly not the preferred choice. Gil is an under immense pressure from Day 1 in Test 1. No honeymoon period unfortunately.
Gambir is likely to be a major voice in the pavilion and on the pitch it would seem. He will like that I think.
All the pressure is on England in this series. Must watch and must win well.
Shubman must steer this inexperienced batting order from that vital No 3 position.
He is will be ably supported by the leadership core of Bumrah and Rahul.
Watching Stokes hooping the ball around in the Zim game is giving me sleepless nights as an Indian fan.. This is going to be a tough series.
Stokes has been cursed by injury so may not be the factor. Plus a May test in UK is fraught for many teams.
He is no Ganguly or Kohli in temperament, more a throwback to Tendulkar or Dravid which might be telling in how the team approaches its cricket. Yours and Monga's article outline the numerous cricket reasons Shubman has come to the captaincy. No mention anywhere then of India copying the West Indian approach of identifying a new Test captain using psychometric testing "to evaluate leadership style, behaviour, and overall suitability for the role" -https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/roston-chase-succeeds-kraigg-brathwaite-as-west-indies-test-captain-1486126. Laughable on the one hand to the likes of Chappelli, in fact to most punters, the better question may be why corporations in the industrial cricket complex should not have such evidence available when making a final choice?