Gautam Gambhir leaves India Test squad just before the warm-up fixture in England, creating a temporary void in leadership. He returned to New Delhi on Wednesday, reportedly due to a family emergency, as confirmed by ESPNcricinfo.
Coaching Staff to Manage in Gambhir’s Absence
While Gautam Gambhir leaves India Test squad, the coaching responsibilities have been handed over to Sitanshu Kotak, Ryan ten Doeschate, and Morne Morkel. They will oversee preparations for the closed-door practice match against India A in Beckenham. Simultaneously, Hrishikesh Kanitkar will manage the India A team.
This match serves as a crucial opportunity for the senior team to prepare before heading to Leeds for the first Test, which begins on June 20.
Team Management Faces Key Selection Calls
With Gautam Gambhir out of the India Test squad during this vital period, selection decisions may require sharper focus. The retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have created two key vacancies in the batting lineup. Players such as B Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair are strong contenders to fill those spots.
Among the India A performers, Nair stood out with 259 runs, including a double century. Dhruv Jurel scored 227 runs, while Abhimanyu Easwaran hit two half-centuries. KL Rahul, likely to open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, impressed with scores of 116 and 51.
Bowling Options Under Consideration
Decisions regarding the seam-bowling allrounder role remain pending. Nitish Reddy and Shardul Thakur both picked up two wickets each, though across varying workloads. For the pace department, Jasprit Bumrah will lead, but two among Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna are likely to feature.
Morne Morkel expressed satisfaction with the squad’s red-ball training intensity, saying, “There’s some quality energy in this group… that’s what you need heading into a Test series.”
New WTC Cycle Begins
The upcoming five-Test series marks the beginning of India’s new World Test Championship cycle and the leadership debut of Shubman Gill as Test captain.
