India’s batting coach dismisses talk of pressure on head coach Gautam Gambhir amid a close Test series.
MANCHESTER, England – Team India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak stated that head coach Gautam Gambhir is not feeling the heat despite the team trailing England 1-2 in the five-match Test series. Kotak acknowledged the disappointment within the management and support staff but emphasized Gambhir’s usual composure.
Gambhir has been notably engaged during the team’s recent outings. He offered spirited responses during a press conference following the draw in the Manchester Test. Earlier, on Tuesday, July 29, a report indicated Gambhir had a disagreement with The Oval’s pitch curator, Lee Fortis.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Kotak was directly asked about the Indian head coach feeling pressure due to the series deficit. He responded calmly:
“I don’t think so. I think it has been a very competitive series and both the teams, to be fair to England also, have played really well. The first Test and the Lord’s Test also could have gone either way. All the Test matches went to the fifth day. It has been an absolutely brilliant Test series so far. Gautam is someone I have never seen under pressure from his playing days to now.”
He continued, emphasizing the difference between pressure and reflection:
“Definitely not under pressure and we wish we would have won the Lord’s game and gone 2-1 up. But, that’s not pressure. That’s just going back and thinking if we could have done something different. That’s nothing about taking pressure,” the 52-year-old added.
India, with a young squad, has shown strong competition throughout the series. They narrowly lost the Lord’s Test by 22 runs after being in a strong position.
Kotak defends Gambhir over pitch curator incident
At the same press conference on Tuesday, Kotak fielded several questions concerning the incident between Gambhir and Fortis. Kotak handled the queries with maturity, defending Gambhir’s actions and providing context:
“Literally, he [Fortis] was saying, ‘you go outside the ropes’ to the head coach and see the wicket. In my cricketing career, I have never seen anyone saying that. It was a strange way of saying you stand away from the wicket. That is what started it. Gautam is someone who doesn’t speak unnecessary things. He doesn’t talk to anyone.”
The fifth and final Test of the series between India and England is scheduled to take place at The Oval from July 31 to August 4.
