Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], July 7 : Former cricketer Yograj Singh has backed India head coach Gautam Gambhir and claimed that he should not be criticised, considering he is performing his role "well".
Under Gambhir's watch, India basked in its first Test victory at Edgbaston after controlling the flow at England's dominion with a captivating brand of cricket. Before the conclusion of the final day of the second Test, India stamped its authority with a resounding 336-run victory on Sunday.
Before the Shubman Gill-led troops scripted a famed story of success in Birmingham, Gambhir was under fire for India's abysmal run in the longest format of cricket. Yograj, who hopes that India returns home with a series win, believes Gambhir shouldn't feel the wrath of the critics.
"Indian players are consistently growing and improving their game. We will support them always. We should not speak about Gautam Gambhir because he is doing well. Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, and Rahul Dravid are giving back to cricket because they have received so much. Even if our team loses the series, we should not demoralise them. If you lose, you will not be there to explain; if you win, you don't have to explain. We hope that we win the series under the captaincy of Shubman Gill," Yograj told ANI.
Gambhir found himself surrounded by questions about India's form in Test format, after his side allowed England to escape with a five-wicket victory in the series opener in Leeds. The 43-year-old, who raised the bar and extended India's supremacy in the white-ball format, failed to instil the same aggression in red-ball cricket.
Before levelling the series at 1-1, India aimlessly shot in the dark, hoping to recover its lost mojo. Since kicking off the home series against New Zealand last October, India had lost seven of their previous nine Tests. The dreadful run included a whitewash at home by the Kiwis, a 3-1 defeat in Australia and now a five-wicket bashing at the hands of England.
India dominated Australia in Perth with a resounding 295-run triumph and was saved by the weather gods in Brisbane, which washed away the Test and forced the contest to be settled as a draw. After an inspired win at Edgbaston, India will be keen on extending its win-streak at Lord's in the third Test to race to lead for the first time in the five-match series.