Gautam Gambhir (PTI Photo) MUMBAI: With Gautam Gambhir facing heavy criticism after India’s 2-0 Test series defeat to South Africa at home, the Team India coach has received strong support from 1983 World Cup winner and former chief selector Sandeep Patil. India under Gambhir have suffered two consecutive home whitewashes in Tests – 3-0 to New Zealand last year and now to South Africa – prompting calls for a change at the helm.
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Patil, who played 29 Tests and 45 ODIs and also served as India’s 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 noticed that all last week everyone was commenting on Gambhir. However, those who donned the national cap and took charge as head coach did not talk about it. No one talks about the mix of players who have been selected,” he told TOI. “You played on a bad field, you lost. You played on a good field, you lost. What can a head coach do? It’s wrong to point the finger at just one person.”“For the last 15-17 years, I have been the head coach of teams from Madhya Pradesh to Kenya, Oman, India Under-19s, India A, the senior Indian team and I have also been the chief selector of India. I have handled all kinds of situations, so I know how difficult the job is. That is why I have not spoken a word about this issue till now.”Patil said many of the former players criticizing Gambhir had never coached India. “It’s really surprising to me that those people who haven’t been India’s coach and gone through that process are passing notes left and right on Gambhir,” he said, adding that Gambhir “knows what he’s doing.”Explaining his support, Patil said that he has been following Gambhir closely since his early days. “I was the head coach of India A when he started his career. I was India’s chief selector when he came up in the Indian team as a player, vice-captain and captain. I saw him up close until he retired. So I know him beyond that. Those who don’t know him well tend to be critical of him. He is an intense, dedicated person.”He urged restraint from fans demanding his release after each defeat. “We have to give the head coach, the selectors and the players time to settle in. You can’t jump the gun. It’s very easy to say, ‘Nikalo isko,’ it’s not smart to sack someone like that,” he said. “We are an emotional country… but it doesn’t work like that.”Patil recalled that even past coaches struggled at first. “When Rahul Dravid became the coach of India, he had a bad start… However, he finished high. Duncan Fletcher had a bad start… Gary had a bad start and Anil Kumble had a tough time.”He said Gambhir needs time. “Gautam’s tenure has just started… you need a good three, four, five years to settle as a coach. When you have too many options, you make these mistakes.”Patil also dismissed claims that players are favoring the IPL over Tests. “How do we know if it’s true? It’s the wrong way to think,” he said, urging players to “work on their fundamentals and think positive.”
