Former Team India opener Aakash Chopra gave advice to head coach Gautam Gambhir ahead of the five-match T20 series against South Africa at home. Chopra said Gambhir should have handled the press conference a little more calmly, adding that his statements after the defeat could create unnecessary controversy.
India, led by KL Rahul, completed the ODI series against South Africa with a comfortable nine-wicket win in Visakhapatnam. The Men in Blue chased the target of 271 runs with 10 overs remaining. After the win, Gambhir used the press conference to criticize journalists and a franchise owner.
Gautam Gambhir’s comments were directed at Delhi Capitals (DC) co-owner Parth Jindal, who recently suggested that India needed a different red-ball coach after the team’s 2-0 defeat in the Test series against South Africa.
Gautam Gambhir came very furious – Aakash Chopra
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra said that Gautam Gambhir’s straightforward approach while interacting with the media is expected, but it can also turn into a disadvantage. Chopra said this creates unnecessary pressure and opens the door to backlash.
Chopra said, “Gautam Gambhir came and he was very fiery. That’s what you expect from Gautam. When he comes to press conferences, he speaks his heart out. I have a suggestion for Gautam.”
He said, “When you become so aggressive, and when you go after someone or something, people start waiting for Gautam to fail. At times it feels like you are preparing yourself for this kind of criticism.”
Gautam Gambhir’s mistake happens only when the team loses – Aakash Chopra
The cricketer turned commentator said that Gambhir should not be held responsible every time India loses. Chopra said that Gambhir does not need to prove anything to anyone. He said staying away from constant fights will help keep coaches focused and avoid distractions.
“When the team loses it can’t be only his (Gambhir’s) fault. One thing is for sure with Gautam. His heart is in the right place, and he is a very emotional person. He is always ready to fight for the country and the country’s team. My only suggestion is don’t fight. You don’t have to please anyone. Don’t fight so much,” Chopra elaborated.
India suffered a 0-2 Test defeat against South Africa at home. This was their first series defeat against the Proteas on Indian soil in almost 25 years. Notably, this setback comes after the 3-0 defeat in New Zealand last year.
Why isn’t anyone talking about it? -Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra admitted that India missed Shubman Gill in the opening Test against South Africa. He pointed out that Gill, who had been scoring heavily for months, was missing from both innings and the margin of defeat was small.
“They said that we lost by 30 runs in the Kolkata Test in which our main batsman, who has scored 1,000 runs in the last seven months, was not available in both the innings, and why is no one talking about it? I agree because we talked about that if Shubman had played in both the innings, he would have scored at least 30 runs. However, we also criticized the pitch,” Chopra said.
Shubman Gill missed India’s 30-run defeat due to a neck injury suffered early in the match. He retired hurt in the first innings and was not available in the second innings. The captain also missed the second Test, where India lost by 408 runs in Guwahati.
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