'You cannot expect Gautam Gambhir to win ...': Monty Panesar comes to India's head coach's rescue after 5-wicket defeat in 1st Test

Team India suffered a disappointing defeat against England in the first Test despite being in a dominating position in most part of the match, leading to widespread criticism. As the cricket pundits analysed the loss, the role of head coach Gautam Gambhir came under scrutiny.

Amidst growing questions about Gambhir's future as Team India's head coach, former English bowler Monty Panesar voiced his support. Panesar argued that Gambhir deserves more time to shape the team according to his vision. After the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the longest format of the game, Team India embarked on a new chapter. However, the initial stages didn't unfold as anticipated. Despite showing early dominance, the team faced a disheartening 5-wicket defeat in the first Test match against England, which resulted in significant backlash directed towards head coach Gautam Gambhir.

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Consequently, Gambhir’s position as Team India’s head coach has faced scrutiny, with some experts expressing concerns. Nevertheless, Panesar defended Gambhir, emphasising that he requires time to rebuild the team, especially considering the absence of several senior players.

“Gautam Gambhir should be given at least 12-18 months to develop this young Test squad. Gambhir is without the likes of Kohli and Sharma. You can not expect him to win the Test series against England without experienced players,” Panesar told Insidesport.

Following the T20 World Cup 2024, Gautam Gambhir took over from Rahul Dravid as the head coach of Team India. While Gambhir has seen success in the shorter formats of the game, his performance in the longest format has raised concerns. In his tenure so far, Team India has faced 7 significant defeats and managed only 3 victories in 11 matches. A whitewash on home ground against New Zealand and a heavy defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy further compounded the worries. For the first time in the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, Team India failed to qualify for the final. With the ongoing series against England starting with a loss, the pressure is intensifying, and concerns about the team's performance are growing.

Notably, reports are doing rounds that Jasprit Bumrah might be rested for second Test against England as part of workload management. Meanwhile, England have received a major boost as Jofra Archer has been included in their squad for the second Test which is slated to start from July 2 in Birmingham.

England's squad for 2nd Test against India:

Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.