Unfair to judge Gambhir so early in his coaching role: Ajay Jadeja

PTI, Nov 30, 2024, 4:00 PM IST

New Delhi: Former India middle-order batter Ajay Jadeja on Saturday defended head coach Gautam Gambhir from the criticism he has received following the 0-3 drubbing against New Zealand, saying it’s “unfair” given the short time he has been in the new role.

Gambhir, the hero of the 2011 World Cup title triumph, took over the reins of the India team in July after Rahul Dravid’s tenure ended.

Following a bright start against Sri Lanka in the T20I series, India lost the ODI series to the home side. The Test team then thrashed Bangladesh 2-0 before a nightmare outing against New Zealand put Gambhir under massive scrutiny.

“I think you are being unfair to him… If you will start judging people on the basis of their coaching role or whatever way it is being looked at, it is too short a time to for people to be judged,” Jadeja told PTI Videos in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of FICCI Turf event here on Saturday..

“If you are not convinced that he is good, then one performance here or there will be able to convince anyone. I don’t think it is the time to judge him, it is the time we should enjoy him,” added Jadeja, known for his exploits in the 50-over game where he scored over 5000 runs in 196 ODIs.

India’s massive 295-run win against Australia in the first Border-Gavaskar Test at Perth following the no-show against the Kiwis has come as a huge morale-booster for the side and Jadeja felt Gambhir should not be judged within six months of his appointment.

“So, there are phases and it will come, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. So, I won’t go into that direction and start judging him (Gambhir) in six months.

“You knew what you were asking for and what you were getting. He is a very clear-cut person and he has made it clear throughout his life. So, what your are seeing now is what everyone expected of him to do.”

Jadeja said that regular Test skipper Rohit Sharma’s return for the second Test at Adelaide from December 6 after missing the opening game will boost India’s confidence.

“Him (Rohit Sharma) coming back to the team will surely boost India’s confidence, for sure. He is a leader, when the chips were down, team was going down, he stood up there as the leader and now when the team is going up, he will be again there as the leader.”

Asked whether KL Rahul and Rohit should swap batting slots in the second Test after the former had a formidable outing in the Perth game, Jadeja said, “I have no details of what the team is thinking right now, no views on who should bat at what number. Rohit Sharma has always been an asset to the side wherever he bats.”

Opening the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul scored 77 in the second innings at Perth, helping India to set a massive 534-run target. Some experts have opined that Rahul should open in the Adelaide Test as well, while Rohit should in at one-down.