Former cricketers Simon Doull and Nasser Hussain couldn’t contain their laughter after India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, made a viral comment at a press conference before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. The former players took a savage dig at Gambhir, speculating that his tenure as coach could be even shorter than Greg Chappell’s controversial stint.
Earlier, Ricky Ponting had raised concerns about Virat Kohli’s recent batting form, particularly after another poor performance in the home series against New Zealand. Gambhir, who was aware of Ponting’s comments, responded sharply at a pre-departure press conference, advising Ponting to focus on Australian cricket rather than India.
Simon Doull was asked about the Gambhir-Ponting exchange on Sky Sports, and he couldn’t help but laugh as he predicted that Gambhir’s coaching term might be “shorter than Greg Chappell’s.” Chappell’s time as head coach of India (2005-2007) was marked by controversy, including a rift with then-captain Sourav Ganguly and a disastrous World Cup campaign.
Doull added, “If India loses badly, say 4-1 or 5-0 in Australia, I’m not sure Gambhir’s job will continue. It’s a tough job, and his relationship with the media isn’t the best, but he could build a cult following if he embraced it more.”
Nasser Hussain, also on the panel, agreed, calling Gambhir’s remark an “odd dig” at Ponting. He sympathized with Ponting, who had simply commented on Kohli’s batting and now had been told to only discuss Australian players. Hussain said, “It’s a complete flip from Dravid, who was tough inside but calm on the outside, to Gambhir, who is tough outside but calm inside.”
The exchange between Gambhir and Ponting has added to the intrigue ahead of the high-stakes India-Australia series, leaving fans and pundits eagerly awaiting the outcome.
