Melbourne [Australia], November 16 – Former Australian skipper Tim Paine has voiced concerns over India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir, suggesting that his temperament under pressure could be a bigger issue for the team than the form of star players like Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma.
Paine’s remarks come in the wake of a war of words between Gambhir and Ricky Ponting ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, set to begin in Perth on November 22.
Ponting-Gambhir Clash
The friction began when Ponting expressed concern about Virat Kohli’s dip in Test form, highlighting that the batter has scored only two centuries since 2020. Ponting, while backing Kohli to bounce back in Australian conditions, faced criticism from Gambhir during a pre-departure press conference. Gambhir dismissed Ponting’s concerns, suggesting the former Australian captain should focus on his own team.
Ponting later clarified that his comments were not intended as a jab at Kohli and referred to Gambhir as a “prickly character.”
Paine’s Take
Speaking on SEN, Paine said, “I do not love it. It is not a good sign, I think, because all he was asked was a very simple question.”
Paine believes Gambhir is still approaching Ponting as a player and competitor rather than a commentator offering analysis.
“Ricky is a commentator now—he’s paid to give an opinion, and his opinion was spot on. Virat has been sliding, and it is a concern, absolutely,” Paine said.
Paine’s biggest worry for India, however, is Gambhir’s ability to maintain composure under pressure.
“Their last two series wins out here (2018-19, 2020-21) were fantastic under Ravi Shastri. Shastri created a great environment, energised the players, and sold them the dream in a light-hearted and motivational way,” he explained.
Paine contrasted this with Gambhir’s approach, describing him as “prickly and really competitive,” which, while not inherently bad, may not suit India’s team dynamics.
“If your coach is the first one to crack in a press conference after being asked a simple question, it could be a really long summer for Gautam Gambhir if India doesn’t get off to a good start in Perth,” he concluded.
The Road Ahead
India heads into the series needing a 4-0 victory to secure a direct spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final for the third consecutive time.
Fixture Schedule
- First Test: Optus Stadium, Perth – November 22 to 26
- Second Test: Adelaide Oval (Day-Night) – December 6 to 10
- Third Test: The Gabba, Brisbane – December 14 to 18
- Fourth Test: Melbourne Cricket Ground (Boxing Day Test) – December 26 to 30
- Fifth Test: Sydney Cricket Ground – January 3 to 7
Squads
India Squad:
Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
Australia Squad (First Test):
Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.
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