Players need to work harder, dont blame Gambhir for Test debacle, says Raina
After New Zealand whitewashed India 3-0 last year, they stare at another Test series defeat on home soil as they trail South Africa 1-0 in a two-Test series with remote chances of winning the ongoing second match in Guwahati.
New Delhi: The onus is on players to perm on the field and coach Gautam Gambhir can’t be blamed for their failure in home Tests, believes former batter Suresh Raina.
After New Zealand whitewashed India 3-0 last year, they stare at another Test series defeat on home soil as they trail South Africa 1-0 in a two-Test series with remote chances of winning the ongoing second match in Guwahati.
Gambhir has come under criticism for India’s repeated failures in red-ball cricket as the team management’s plan to play on rank turners has backfired time and again.
Playing spin was once considered India’s strong suit, but it seems to have turned to be their biggest weakness under Gambhir though Raina feels he shouldn’t be at the centre of criticism.
"Gauti bhaiya (Gautam Gambhir) has worked really hard and he is not at all at fault. The players have to work really hard and play well. Under him we have been doing great in the white-ball format where we just won the ICC Champions Trophy and Asia Cup in Dubai earlier this year," Raina told PTI.
"The players have to score, the coach can only guide, advise and give support to the players. Also, the planning of the series can be better because you have to quickly switch formats from white ball and suddenly you are playing red-ball cricket again so the players I believe have less time in hand.
"The players should also improve their application in the middle, I hope this all is getting noticed...," he said.
‘No risk to Gambhir’s future’
On social media, Gambhir's future is up for scrutiny as Test coach but Raina doesn’t believe so, though he thinks domestic performances should be the benchmark for Test selection.
"If they (the players) are facing any issues, they must be communicating to the coach that this is the issue. If the players do well then the coach will be also applauded. But if the team is not doing well, it should not be that the coach should be sacked from his post," the former left hand batter said.
"I have played with Gautam bhaiya, he loves Indian cricket team, he loves cricket, I have played and won the World Cup with him. So, he has done really well for the country and it is the players' responsibility to do well.
"They should play domestic cricket regularly and do well there, if they do well that will automatically reflect in their performances at the international level."