Gautam Gambhir, Selectors, and Team Face Communication Breakdown

The Indian team is facing a tougher transition as they have failed to deliver the performance for the Border Gavaskar Trophy being played in Australia. Coach Gautam Gambhir is reported to be unable to get on the same page with the selectors and the team.

It has been greatly indicated that there may be an ideological difference in the way Gambhir approaches his work which does not allow the team to adapt to his ways. Gambhir's communication is currently a bone of contention within the team.

Gambhir is known to be strong-headed and a hard taskmaster, it is evident in Delhi and Kolkata Knight Riders over the past decade. Gambhir's conversations revealed the pretty few objectives with players on the tours.

As per BCCI sources, “He has let the players be so far. Now, he must take responsibility and come to the fore, The young players who are missing out even from the XI are not being talked to yet. It could make them doubt themselves. The previous team managements were more empathetic and spoke a lot to the players. The players are still adjusting to Gambhir’s new ways.”

Even Captain Rohit Sharma is also fighting his chances into the XI, he hasn’t done any favours to the dressing room. BCCI insiders have also pointed out that even the vision has transformed-in an abstract way-in this period of transition.

“There’s no harm in having a vision. But there needs to be a definite one. Gambhir is trying to balance things. In doing so, he is figuring out the players he wants to back. It’s almost like he is still struggling to come out of how an IPL franchise functions. There are proven performers in the team. He is mindful of not disturbing them,” the source added.

Further, “If one goes by the team sheets that the team management has released in the last four Test tours, there are players missing out from featuring in the 15 when they were initially picked as the top 15 players to travel to Australia. It clearly shows there’s a lack of clarity between the selectors and the team management,” the source stated.

Selectors have agreed to Gambhir's persuasion to take Harshit Rana even though he hasn't played first-class cricket. Rana wasn't even in the list of 15 for the last Test at Melbourne. The Indian team has suffered woefully since the day Gambhir took charge from Rahul Dravid last July.

According to sources at the BCCI, Gambhir has come up with the plans of maintaining the teams in all three formats. Gambhir is said to have in mind an 18-month timeline for the restructuring of the team. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar had also travelled to Australia, all through the tour, where he worked on a common vision with Gambhir.

As per the sources reported on November 20 last year, team management along with selectors will now be talking to the senior players regarding their future plans. Rohit, Virat Kohli, R. Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja were in the priority list. But according to BCCI sources, they were unhappy with how the team management has handled the retirement of Ashwin.

It's unlikely to have Rohit for test plans after Australia but does he announce his retirement when the team faces such tough times is what can be questioned.

There is a chance that he may hold the decision for a while to let the dust settle. In such a scenario, Kohli seems to have assumed a leadership role again, being more vocal in the field and frequently addressing team huddles.

There seems to be a lack of faith in the younger generation of players in the way they prepare going into a game.

BCCI reviewed Gambhir and his support staff's performance after the Australia tour, just like it did after India suffered a 0-3 defeat at the hands of their New Zealand counterparts in October-November last year.

The question marks hang on Abhishek Nayar as a batting coach and the idea about fielding coach Ryan ten Doeschate when T Dilip has been running the show with utmost efficiency for the last three years.