MUMBAI: With Gautam Gambhir facing heavy criticism after India’s 2-0 Test series loss to South Africa at home, the Team India coach has received strong backing from 1983 World Cup winner and former chief selector Sandeep Patil. India, under Gambhir, have endured two successive home whitewashes in Tests — 3-0 to New Zealand last year and now to South Africa — prompting calls for a change at the helm.
Patil, who played 29 Tests and 45 ODIs and has also served as India coach and chairman of selectors, believes the attacks on Gambhir stem from a lack of understanding of the complexities of the job. He said he chose not to comment earlier because he knows “how difficult the job of coaching India is.”“I’ve noticed that the whole of last week that everybody has been passing comments about Gambhir. However, those who have donned the national cap, taken responsibility as a head coach, haven’t spoken about it. Nobody is talking about the combination of players who have been selected,” he told TOI. “You played on a bad pitch, you lost. You played on a good pitch, you lost. What can the head coach do? It is wrong to point fingers at only one person.“For the past 15-17 years, I’ve been the head coach of teams from Madhya Pradesh to Kenya, Oman, India Under-19, India A, the senior Indian team, and been the India chief selector too. I’ve handled all kinds of situations, so I know how difficult the job is. This is the reason I didn’t speak a word on this issue at all so far.”Patil said many ex-players criticising Gambhir had never coached India. “It’s really surprising to me that those people who have not been an India coach and gone through that process are passing remarks left and right on Gambhir,” he said, adding that Gambhir “knows what he is doing.”Explaining his support, Patil said he had watched Gambhir closely from his early days. “I was the India A head coach when he started his career. When he established himself in the Indian team as a player, vice-captain and captain, I was the India chief selector. I’ve seen him from close quarters till his retirement. So, I know him in and out. Those who don’t know him well tend to be critical about him. He’s an intense, committed person.”He urged restraint from fans demanding sackings after every defeat. “We must allow the head coach, selectors and the players time to settle down. You cannot jump the gun. It’s very easy to say: ‘Nikalo isko,’ it’s not prudent to sack somebody like that,” he said. “We are an emotional country… but it doesn’t work like that.”Patil reminded that even past coaches struggled initially. “When Rahul Dravid became an India coach, he had a bad start… However, he finished on a high. Duncan Fletcher had a bad start… Gary had a bad start and Anil Kumble endured a rough period.”He said Gambhir needs time. “Gautam’s tenure has just started… you need a good three, four, five years to settle down as a coach. When you have too many options, you make these mistakes.”Patil also rejected claims that players prioritise IPL over Tests. “How do we know if this is true? It’s a wrong line of thinking,” he said, urging players to “work on their basics and think positively.”
