"I didn't expect we would do so well - Aakash Chopra on whether Gautam Gambhir is a better white-ball coach than a red-ball one

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that it would be premature to judge Gautam Gambhir as a red-ball coach. While acknowledging that the Men in Blue have a phenomenal record under the head coach in white-ball cricket, he noted that Shubman Gill and company exceeded expectations in the Test series against England.

India beat the West Indies 2-0 in the recently concluded two-match Test series. They had earlier drawn the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England 2-2, apart from winning the Champions Trophy 2025 and the Asia Cup 2025 in the ODI and T20I formats respectively.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener was asked whether Gautam Gambhir is a better white-ball coach than a red-ball one.

"The white-ball numbers are phenomenal. If we see the team under him, whether it's the Asia Cup or the Champions Trophy, the winning run in T20Is, or scoring 250-odd runs, the white-ball numbers are outstanding, but the Test numbers are going to improve gradually," Chopra responded (4:10).

"I think it was very good in England. The series ended 2-2. I thought it exceeded expectations. I didn't expect we would do so well, but we did. So I would say thumbs up with both hands. When Gautam has taken coaching, India are going through a transition, and it's a tough transition," he added.

Aakash Chopra highlighted that stalwarts like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohammad Shami are no longer part of India's Test setup. To conclude, the analyst noted that he wouldn't label Gautam Gambhir a better white-ball coach.

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"In Test cricket, you can always play a specialist" - Aakash Chopra on Gautam Gambhir's preference for a batter at No. 8

Washington Sundar (left) and Nitish Kumar Reddy have regularly featured in India's Test XI as all-rounders. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra was asked about his thoughts on Gautam Gambhir's preference for a batter at No. 8.

"A batter is required at No. 8 in white-ball cricket. So please have a batter there. Allow a batter to be there at No. 8. T20s and ODIs is okay. In Test cricket, you can always play a specialist. A batter isn't required after No. 7," he responded (10:45).

The cricketer-turned-commentator opined that India should bat Kuldeep Yadav at No. 8 in Tests, and play three specialist bowlers after that.

"Kuldeep bats a little, and that is enough. Even if you play three proper bowlers after that, that is enough. A batter isn't required at No. 8 in Test cricket, and if your bowling is weakened because of that, it's not required at all. If you get stuck any time that you aren't getting a batter at No. 8, I will go towards playing an extra bowler sometimes," Chopra observed.

India played three all-rounders - Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy - for the No. 6 to No. 8 positions in the two Tests against the West Indies. Three all-rounders quite often featured in India's playing XI even in the Test series against England.