We’ve seen in the past in Indian cricket that first-time captains and coaches look to start with a bang. They avoid making tough choices, deciding to chase against Ireland or Zimbabwe after winning the toss. Then there is Gautam Gambhir. India’s head coach isn’t looking at the small picture but aiming for something much bigger.
Gambhir planning for the future
With the India vs Sri Lanka ODI series on the line, you’d expect a new coach to go for the kill. Down 0-1, you’d want to expect anyone to save their tail. Mind you, India haven’t lost a bilateral ODI series to Sri Lanka in the last 27 years, and on his first tour as India’s head coach, Gambhir wouldn’t like for that record to be broken.
Beating the Lankan Lions isn’t an achievement like it used to be a decade ago. While losing to them is nothing short of an embarrassment. But Gambhir is willing to risk that short-term disappointment for long-term success. For the 3rd ODI, he decided to drop KL Rahul for Rishabh Pant and play just one pacer, resting Arshdeep Singh and bringing in Riyan Parag.
This moves means that India:
- Go with just two out-and-out bowlers, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj.
- Four all-rounders (Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, and Shivam)
- Expect part-timers Dube and Parag to bowl at least 10 overs between them.
This may not be the best thing to do if one wants to win the India vs Sri Lanka 3rd ODI, but if you’re eyeing the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, this is the perfect thing to do. The event, which will be played in Pakistan and likely the UAE, does sport similar sluggish and spin-friendly pitches as Sri Lanka.
With India scheduled to play just 3 more ODIs before the ICC event kicks off in February next year, Gambhir wants to test where India and some players stand. Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed aren’t even playing, and at least three of these would walk into the side when available.
Testing Parag and Dube’s bowling prowess right now would bode well for India in the future, and Gambhir knows that. India’s trouble with bowling options when one of their five front-line bowlers isn’t doing well will also be sorted out with this change-up. You’d only see how India’s batting approach changes with a lineup that has 9 batters.
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