"His aggression has generally come out in protection of his players" - Dinesh Karthik on head coach Gautam Gambhir ahead of IND-BAN 2024 Tests

Sri Lanka v India - Source: Getty
Sri Lanka v India - Source: Getty

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has backed new Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir to strike a chord with the players, saying his aggression will only benefit the team. Gambhir was appointed India's head coach, replacing Rahul Dravid after the 2024 T20 World Cup triumph.

However, his stint started with a mixed bag in the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. While India won the T20Is 3-0, they lost the ODIs 0-2.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a 'Legends League Cricket' event, Karthik said (via India Today):

"His aggression has generally come out in protection of his players and that is something the current lot of players will enjoy. Knowing him, he is not someone who gets angry for the heck of it. I'm sure he will have his turn with strong words for whoever it is required, and it is in his best interest to get the best out of the players."

The upcoming home Tests against Bangladesh will be Gambhir's first assignment in the longest format. Karthik remains interested in how the former batter would handle the challenges of red-ball cricket.

He continued:

"He has been a part of numerous T20 tournaments. But this Test series will be completely new for him as a coach and it must be playing at the back of his mind. He is someone who has navigated through tough waters. He's got the acumen to understand the pulse of the game, which is extremely important as a coach."
"He is at a very early stage as a coach, so it will be interesting how it pans out. However, I have confidence that he will deliver on all aspects. So far, it has worked well for him," Karthik added.

India's home Test season against Bangladesh and New Zealand starts with the first Test against the former in Chennai on Thursday, September 19.

"India in India is a different kettle of fish to beat" - Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik believes that despite coming in confident after their recent series win in Pakistan, Bangladesh will struggle to match India in their home conditions.

Bangladesh stunned Pakistan with a 2-0 series whitewash just a fortnight ago but have never tasted victory against India in the red-ball format.

In the same interview, Karthik said:

"It will start with a lot of confidence from Bangladesh. (For India) it's about understanding that they are playing a slightly different Bangladesh team. But, India in India is a different kettle of fish to beat. It's not going to be in any way as easy as compared to going outside and beating other countries in their backyard. Many teams have come to India and found it challenging and Bangladesh will also find its challenges in the next couple of weeks."

However, Karthik acknowledged that the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia at the end of the year would be a challenge for India.

"The Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be a challenge for India. The current Australian team is in great form and is a well-oiled unit. It's no fluke that they won the World Test Championship. It will be tough for India, but given their resilience, it will be a wonderful series to watch," he concluded.

While Australia won their latest Test meeting against India in the 2021-2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final, they have lost the previous four bilateral Test series to the Asian giants.

The 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be a five-match series, starting in Perth on November 22.

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Edited by Parag Jain
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