NEW DELHI: India cricketers Harshit Rana and Nitish Rana on Thursday rallied behind head coach Gautam Gambhir amidst criticism surrounding the team’s recent performance in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Australia defeated India 3-1 for their first series win in 10 years.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
The loss sparked criticism from fans and former cricketers alike, targeting both the players and the management. Gambhir has been particularly under fire due to India’s struggles in the Test format with the team securing a solitary win in their last eight matches.
Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary also recently slammed Gambhir, calling him a ‘hypocrite’.
Nitish and Harshit, who played under the mentorship of Gambhir at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) came out in his support, emphasizing on the fact that criticism should be based on facts rather than personal biases.
Gambhir’s coaching tenure commenced with India’s tour of Sri Lanka where the side demonstrated dominance in the T20I format, winning the series 2-0. However, in the following ODI series the team suffered a 0-2 defeat — their first bilateral ODI series loss to Lanka in 27 years.
Following the Lanka tour, India hosted Bangladesh for a series comprising two Tests and three T20Is. India delivered a flawless performance against the Bangla Tigers, clean sweeping both series.
New Zealand then toured India for a three-Test series, which they won 3-0, stunning the Indian team.
After the surprising whitewash India aimed to defend the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. India won the series opener in Perth but then lost all the other Tests, barring the drawn Brisbane Test, to lose the series 1-3.
