Rohit and Kohli get backing from coach Gambhir ahead of BGT despite underwhelming performances in the NZ series.
Rohit and Kohli have been backed by coach Gambhir ahead of the 5-test series starting next week.
After both hitters only managed one half-century apiece in ten innings combined against Bangladesh and New Zealand during the current home season, concerns about their form grew.
Kohli performed somewhat better with 192 runs in as many appearances, averaging 21.33. While Rohit scored 133 runs in 10 innings, with only one score of more than 25, and averaged a 13.30. The talk was heightened by the fact that India was whitewashed 3-0 for the first time at home and lost a Test series for the first time in 12 years.
“Not at all,” Gambhir shot back at the press conference when asked if there were any concerns around the form of the duo. “I have got no concerns whatever over Virat and Rohit. I think they are incredibly tough men. They’ve achieved a lot for Indian cricket, and they will continue to achieve a lot in future as well.
“I think for me at the most important thing is that they still working really hard. They are still passionate, they still want to achieve a lot more and that is something which is very important. The hunger in that dressing room is incredibly important for me and for the entire group as well. I feel there’s a lot of hunger, especially after what has happened in the last series.”
The inevitable transition of the India Test team has also been questioned, given that Rohit is 37 and Kohli is 36. Gambhir, who was a part of the previous cycle of transition as a player when players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, and others retired. He was asked how he was viewing current phase as coach. This given that R Ashwin is 38 and Ravindra Jadeja turns 36 next month.
“Look, honestly I’m not even thinking that the team is in transition and that kind of stuff,” Gambhir said. “The only thing at the moment in my mind is we go to Australia to play five Test matches. I’ve said it that there are people in that room have to achieve a lot of things in the future. So you guys can keep talking about the transition and all that stuff. I think they’re still hungry and till they’re very hungry, I’m sure they’ve got a lot of fire to achieve success for the nation.
“And you should never doubt their passion for the country. So I feel that transition or no transition, those things can happen. And those things will keep happening in Indian cricket. But at the moment it’s the five Test matches that are important.”