NEW DELHI: Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has expressed support for India's head coach Gautam Gambhir ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia which begins on November 22 in Perth.
Ganguly believes it's premature to evaluate Gambhir's coaching, which started just two months ago, and urged patience from fans and critics.
"All I will say is let him be. I saw some criticism of what he said in the press conference. It is the way he is. Just because he has lost three Test matches and a one-day series against Sri Lanka, the straight talk has not been looked at nicely. But that is the way he is. Let’s give Gambhir a chance," Gambhir told Revsportz.
Gambhir's tenure began with India experiencing a 0-3 Test series whitewash against New Zealand and a loss to Sri Lanka in ODIs.
His direct comments, particularly about Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting, have generated diverse reactions. Ponting had earlier voiced concerns over Virat Kohli's Test form, highlighting Kohli's two centuries since 2020.
Gambhir responded by suggesting Ponting concentrate on his own team instead of Kohli, which ignited a war of words. Ponting subsequently clarified his remarks, describing Gambhir as a "prickly character."
Ganguly defended Gambhir's straightforward approach. He believes Gambhir's combative style might be advantageous in the high-stakes series against Australia.
"Ultimately, you have to go and play the game hard. That is the way it is and it has happened for ages against Australian cricket teams. That makes this series even more competitive and more followed by people," he said.
Team India needs a 4-0 series victory to directly qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
