Overview
- Ravi Shastri defended Gautam Gambhir on Prabhat Khabar’s podcast, saying players must share blame for recent Test defeats instead of targeting one individual.
- He cautioned that a coach can be sacked for poor performance and stressed patience, clear communication and strong man-management as essential leadership traits.
- India’s slide includes a 0-2 home loss to South Africa—described as their first Proteas series win in India in nearly 25 years—after a 3-0 defeat in New Zealand.
- Aakash Chopra advised Gambhir to tone down confrontational press conferences after he rebuked reporters and Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal over calls for a separate red-ball coach.
- Gambhir and Chopra highlighted captain Shubman Gill’s injury absence as a factor in the 30-run Eden Gardens defeat, even as India later took the ODI series 2-1 in Visakhapatnam.