Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir: The Contrasting difference between India Captain and Coach

Add as a preferred source on Google

What a study in contrast, the captain and coach, Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir. Hitman was ready to face the media, apologise, say sorry, and accept he failed. That was a great sign of leadership.

All this happened at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday after the Kiwis had thumped India 3-0 in the Test series. Rohit has been blamed for failure, with the bat, poor captaincy in Bengaluru first and how he got it all wrong. Mind you, he is the same captain who was celebrated, feted, taken out on an open-bus tour with the team after the Men In Blue won the ICC T20 World Cup in the West Indies.

Rohit has stepped away from T20 international cricket. His focus is on the ODIs, Tests and the IPL. And he has been honest in admitting he plays the IPL for the lure of the lucre, and he had won the trophy for Mumbai Indians five times. He has failed in this three-Test series, and admitted it, repeatedly.

What is even more pleasant, Rohit has not blamed anyone. He has himself taken the blame, which is what a skipper should be doing. He did not give wishy-washy excuses, that is not Rohit's DNA. And the last part, he has said he may not be available for the first Test in Perth, starting November 22, as he wishes to be with his wife with the second child due to arrive. You have to admire his honesty, nothing to hide. And all this he had discussed with the BCCI think-tank, of which Gambhir and chairman, selection committee, Ajit Agarkar are an integral part.

What does Gambhir do? Hyped king-size when he was named successor to Rahul Dravid by the BCCI, GG was full of himself. He spoke at length in Mumbai once he took over and the team was to leave for Sri Lanka in July. Very soon, GG got his own, chosen, support staff. He was forceful, he wanted his men. Look at the results, an ODI series loss in Lanka and a hammering by the Kiwis.

The first mistake, asking for turning tracks to be prepared. All these star batters hardly play first-class cricket where they can face quality spinners. This request for turning tracks exploded like a Diwali bomb on GG's face. No damage done, but he has smeared his face with black soot. Amidst all this, even when the ruin had just begun, GG had pressed into service a PR overdrive. Each day the media was being fed press releases, all hyped up. As if he had been doing something big every day. Even if he did, results were to the contrary. This man is so full of himself that he sends on Diwali night a picture of himself at dinner with his support staff.

The team was not there in the picture. Why? Has he distanced himself from the team or is he so full of himself the players have been forgotten! The best part, when ruins became rubble, GG has vanished. He is in hiding. His PR machinery is silent. Gautam Gambhir has himself not come and spoken to the media. No, not even a statement. So, if there are news/rumours floating, the coach and his chosen assistants are now under scrutiny, fans will believe it.

Indian cricket has seen men of calibre and composure as coaches. Ravi Shastri never ran away even when the team got out for 36 in Australia. Rahul Dravid spoke only when he needed to. Most important, when the team did badly, Dravid did not go into hiding. And now we have Gautam Gambhir, not ready to say anything. Does Indian cricket need a coach like this?

If authority turns into arrogance and responsibility becomes silence, GG has let all cricket fans down. He needed to speak up and defend his team, if not himself. The deafening silence is unacceptable. It is tantamount to failure, GG. You will face more probing in coming days. From one and all. The least he could have done is, stand with his men. All talk now is of this coach, GG, as a wrong choice. Agree?