New Delhi [India], November 10 : India head coach Gautam Gambhir revealed that one of the biggest challenges his management is facing stems from the possibility of all-format players getting burnt out, not just physically but mentally as well.
India has been heavily involved in a jam-packed schedule over the last couple of months, which commenced with the Asia Cup in September. After the tournament concluded with India clinching the title on an unbeaten note, Shubman Gill and his side shifted its focus to two home Tests against the West Indies, which commenced barely four days later.
Following the series' conclusion on October 14, India embarked on a white-ball tour of Australia, comprising three ODIs and five T20Is. India once again had less than four days before playing the first ODI in Perth's seaming conditions. India endured a 2-1 defeat in ODIs, but bounced back with a 2-1 T20I series win.
With a five-day gap, India will prepare to host World Test Champions South Africa for two home Tests, commencing on Friday at Kolkata's Eden Gardens. Gill, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Washington Sundar have consistently adapted to different formats, adjusting their technique accordingly to suit each format.
"Look, it's tough, it's actually tough because switching formats, I think for me, more than from the support staff's point of view, it is tough on the players as well. The guys who are playing all three formats, we've got to be very, I think not clear, but I think we need to be very smart in how we use them, because there should not be a burnout as well," Gambhir said in a video posted by the BCCI.
"For example, someone like Kuldeep, Bumrah or Shubman, Washi, Axar, all these guys are playing all three formats. So we need to be very smart in how much we want to use them and when we want to give them a break as well, because switching formats for players is very, very tough," he added.
India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill's dip in form serves as evidence of the struggle a player faces when transitioning to different formats. During the West Indies tour, hammering 192 runs at 96.00. He then led India in three ODIs and mustered just 43 runs at 14.33. The 26-year-old then transitioned to T20Is, finding his purple patch in the first and last game, finishing with a tally of 132 at 44.00.
Gambhir addressed the significant concern that comes with the complex task of switching between different formats. He emphasised the challenge of giving players enough rest to avoid the possibility of mental exhaustion.
"Imagine in four days' time, we'll have a test match starting at 9 o'clock in the morning. Imagine batting first and from Australia in four days, we would be facing someone like a Rabada or a Marco Jansen. So for me, I think it's tough on the players, but this is what professional sportsmen are all about, whereas now it is our responsibility that when we want to get them off that pressure," Gambhir said.
"Give them a couple of games off so that they can come back fresh because more than the physical side of things, it's the mental side of things that can actually burn you out as well, and we don't want these guys to burn out. So that is something which again is going to be a challenge for the support staff and, most importantly, for the players," he concluded.