Former Team India cricketer Robin Uthappa raised questions from head coach Gautam Gambhir after the team’s defeat in the first Test against South Africa at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Uthappa also raised doubts over whether the Indian team is good enough to reach the next World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Gambhir is being criticized as the team has lost four of the last six Test matches at home. The poor performance has led to discussion among fans as to whether he should be dropped. Notably, the team is a young team after the retirement of experienced players Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Visiting teams have more time to prepare – Robin Uthappa
Robin Uthappa urged Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill to assess the team amid inconsistent performances. Uthappa pointed out that India’s busy schedule leaves little room for focused development.
“The visiting teams play less cricket than India and have much more time to prepare. There is a lot more cricket happening there,” Uthappa said on his YouTube channel.
“You are going with one size fits all and trying to deliver results. There has to be a sense of realism about the targets for the next two years,” he said.
South Africa broke the drought by defeating India in the opening test. Notably, this was their first win in the country since 2010. The competition ended within three days. Chasing a modest target of 124 runs, India were all out for 93 runs in Kolkata.
Is this team ready to reach the WTC final? – Robin Uthappa questions Gautam Gambhir
Robin Uthappa also expressed doubts over India’s fast bowling resources, especially for overseas conditions. He questioned whether the current team had the depth required to compete outside the subcontinent. He said that India lacks a reliable third pacer to support Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
Uthappa said, “Yes, you want to reach the WTC final, but is this team ready to reach there? Who is really effective outside Bumrah and Siraj? We are missing a third fast bowler. They are trying many people. To be honest, we do not have a confirmed third fast bowler.”
In the current World Test Championship cycle, India have won four and lost three in eight matches. Australia top the table with 100% PCT after three wins. India is at fourth position with 54.17 PCT. The Men in Blue need to win more to remain in the race for the finals.
India as a country does not have test centers – Robin Uthappa
The former batsman said that India is losing a big advantage with its recent failures on home soil. He said scheduling Tests at random venues prevents India from creating realistic home conditions or preparing pitches tailored to specific opponents.
“India as a country doesn’t have Test centres. You are playing Tests randomly everywhere and trying to give results in your favour. It takes away from the bigger goal,” Uthappa said. “If you have Test centres, you can estimate home advantage based on the visiting team. India is not doing that.”
Also read: Indian coach reveals huge ‘anti-Gautam Gambhir agenda’ after Kolkata Test disaster
