look news india
News India Live, Digital Desk: Indian Test cricket has entered a new era, in which the captaincy is in the hands of young Shubman Gill and the aggressive thinking Gautam Gambhir is sitting on the head coach’s chair. New pairing, new expectations… But do the captain and the coach have the same thinking regarding Team India’s biggest strength, i.e. the home pitches? Indications from recent statements and reports are pointing towards an interesting strategic debate.
Shubman Gill wants ‘balanced pitch’
Captain Shubman Gill, himself a top-order batsman, has advocated ‘balanced pitches’ for Test cricket.
- What is Gill’s view? Gill believes that the real thrill of a Test match lies only when there are equal opportunities for both batsmen and bowlers on the pitch. He wants pitches that last for five days, where the fast bowlers also get help and the spinners prove effective as the game progresses. A balanced pitch tests all aspects of a team’s abilities, not just the ability to play spin.
Gautam Gambhir is in favor of ‘Rank Turner’
On the other hand, head coach Gautam Gambhir’s thinking has always been to make the most of home conditions.
- What is Gambhir’s strategy? Gambhir is considered a ‘rank turner’ i.e. a supporter of turning pitches from day one. He believes that when you have world-class spinners like Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, you should use your biggest strengths to completely demolish the opposition. This is an aggressive strategy, the aim of which is to win the series by finishing the match in three-four days.
Is this a conflict of opinion?
On one side there is the captain who wants a ‘fair contest’, and on the other side there is the coach who wants ‘results’. This may seem like a conflict of ideas at first glance.
- Balanced Pitch: This shows the confidence of the team that we have the ability to win the match playing five days on any kind of wicket.
- Rank Turner: It is a ruthless and pragmatic approach, which says that there should be no muravat on home soil and winning is of utmost importance.
What will happen next?
It will be interesting to see what path the new leadership of the Indian team takes. Will the effect of Shubman Gill’s calm nature and balanced thinking be seen on the pitches, or will Gautam Gambhir’s aggressive tactics dominate? The final decision on pitch preparation is taken by mutual consent of the captain, coach and local curator.
This may not be a conflict, but rather a brainstorming between two different successful strategies. It is possible that both of them together may find a middle path, where the pitch is helpful for the spinners, but not so much that the match becomes one-sided within two-three days. The future of Indian cricket will depend a lot on the synergy of this new pairing, and its first test will begin with the preparation of the pitches.