Gautam Gambhir has accused the Indian team management of making its players feel insecure after their decision to rotate between Wriddhiman Saha and Rishabh Pant in Test matches. Saha, who played in the first Test at Adelaide, was dropped for Pant for the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne.
“It’s unfortunate and Wriddhiman Saha has played just one Test match in this series and he hasn’t done well and gets dropped. Imagine what happens to Pant if he doesn’t do well in this Test or the third Test. What do you do then? Would you go back to Wriddhiman Saha,” Gambhir questioned on YouTube channel ‘Sports Today’.
Gambhir further said that the current regime has failed to make players secure and hence the performances have suffered.
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“That’s why this team looks so unsettled because no one is secured. Professional sport is all about security. Everyone has talent when they are representing the country. All they want is security and that assurance that we are there to back you, not just by words but by action,” the former India opener said.
He further highlighted the issue with Saha and Pant, saying, “Actually, it’s been unfair on Rishabh Pant and Wriddhiman Saha both over a long period of time when they have picked and chosen players on conditions. You don’t do that with wicketkeepers. You do that with bowlers.”
“In overseas conditions, you play two spinners based on conditions, it's understandable, but which other teams in the world have chopped and changed wicketkeepers based on conditions. No one apart from India.”
He also rubbished the one keeper for home and one for away theory.
“I have never believed in this theory of rotation policy that Wriddhiman Saha is only good for sub-continent and Rishabh Pant is better overseas because that’s not how good teams go into. If you are good in Indian conditions, you got to deliver in overseas conditions as well. Whether he does that or not is irrelevant,” he signed off.
(PTI inputs)
