According to reports, Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of India, sought to include Cheteshwar Pujara, a 36-year-old batter who was banished, in his team for the Australia tour.
Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of Team India, appears to be at a standstill with the BCCI on the team’s roster and playing style. Gambhir was incensed at his team’s performance after they lost badly on Day 5 of the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Melbourne, according to a shocking claim. Gambhir has pushed hard to have Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara included on the Australia tour, according to the report.
A report by The news sources claims that there has been discord in the Indian dressing room for a while, with disputes arising over team selection as well.
Prior to the first Test match against Australia in Perth, Gambhir reportedly made several requests for Pujara to be included. But the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee disregarded his request. Gambhir was allegedly requesting Pujara’s inclusion even after India had won the Perth Test. Pujara, who has played 103 Test matches with an average of 43.60, was a key player in India’s last two series wins in Australia. However, he hasn’t played for India since the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Throughout the current series, India’s difficulties with the top order have been clear. Josh Hazlewood, a bowler for Australia, had lamented Pujara’s absence from the team before the series.Additionally, there have been other problems with Gambhir’s tenure. According to reports, the skipper and selectors have not agreed with the former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coach when it comes to choosing the starting lineup for the Australia series. It was specifically claimed that there was disagreement in the Indian dressing room regarding Gambhir’s choice between Harshit Rana and Washington Sundar.
Gambhir is also said to have been frustrated by the players’ inability to carry out their ideas on the pitch.
