CHENNAI: It’s a new era in Indian cricket and along with it comes new trappings. Gautam Gambhir, the new head coach of the team, had a brief stint with some of the players in Sri Lanka but that was merely an appetizer. Now comes the main course — a Test series at home against Bangladesh starting in five days’ time. And ‘Gauti’, with his trusted backroom staff of Morne Morkel (bowling coach), Abhishek Nayar (assistant coach) and Ryan ten Doeschate (fielding coach), got down to work with India’s seniors under extreme secrecy at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, the venue of the first Test.
No media was allowed. Nothing could be filmed or watched. One had to bank on droplets of information filtering out of ‘Castle Chepauk’ on Friday. Gambhir wanted the entire group together right from the first day, barring Sarfaraz Khan who is playing in the Duleep Trophy. So, Virat Kohli flew in from England late on Thursday night and was among the first to go out on Friday morning and bat against Jasprit Bumrah, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
