‘Only Gautam Gambhir can save us’: Fans react to head coach’s solo practice amid India’s CRISIS in batting performance

New Delhi: Following India's disappointing batting performance at the Gabba Test, a video of Gautam Gambhir practicing shadow batting in the dressing room has surfaced online. Captured during a rain delay on December 16th, the video shows Gambhir showcasing the art of leaving a delivery, sparking discussions among cricket fans and analysts.

India’s performance in the first innings was far from encouraging, with key players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Rishabh Pant all falling victim to single-digit scores. Rohit Sharma’s contribution was a mere 10 runs, putting the team in a tough spot. Nevertheless, KL Rahul’s impressive 84 and Ravindra Jadeja’s steady performance offered a shred of hope in avoiding a follow-on.

The viral status of Gambhir’s shadow practice has led to a surge of humorous reactions from fans, showcasing their growing frustration with the current batting lineup. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, in particular, have come under heavy scrutiny due to their poor form throughout this series.

Gautam Gambhir is so frustrated by team India batters..
He is thinking of batting #INDvsAUS#INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/RhO8DNyacn

— Film and Cricket Updates (@FilmyKriya) December 16, 2024

THE BIGGEST BREAKING
Gautam Gambhir is all set to replace Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma at The Melbourne.
GG was seen doing shadow practice in the dugout. #ViratKohli #INDvsAUS
#Rohit pic.twitter.com/WpnAyqafMt

— Cricket Ka Mela (@cricketkamela) December 16, 2024

BIGGEST BREAKING

– Gautam Gambhir is all set to replace Virat Kohli/ Rohit Sharma at The Melbourne.

– GG was seen doing shadow practice in the dugout. #ViratKohli #INDvsAUS #Rohit pic.twitter.com/OtUuB2IAxP

— Pratyush Halder (@pratyush_no7) December 16, 2024

Under Gambhir’s watchful coaching, India’s batting has faced serious challenges in Test matches, often failing to reach 400 runs in an innings. Alarmingly, there have been seven innings where the scores dipped below 200 out of 14 matches. Rohit Sharma’s average of 11.69 since September and Virat Kohli’s 24.46 have raised red flags regarding their performance.

Gautam Gambhir, one of India’s top Test openers with an impressive 4,154 runs and nine centuries to his name, took over as head coach earlier this year. Given his wealth of experience and accolades, including being named ICC Test Player of the Year in 2009, the current batting struggles feel particularly disheartening.