'It might be challenging to adjust and...' - Former England star's shocking remarks on Gautam Gambhir's coaching responsibilities

Team India has been enduring a struggling run of form in the international since the new head coach Gautam Gambhir took over the responsibilities. The team has already been eliminated from the race to the final of the World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle. Rohit Sharma-led side has led six defeats out of eight Tests, alongside only two wins.

Meanwhile, the coaching patterns of head coach Gautam Gambhir have also been under the scanner after the horrific outings of Team India. Gambhir-led management also faced criticism after India’s 1-3 defeat in the recently concluded Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Australia.

Meanwhile, the former England spinner Monty Panesar has come up with a big statement while talking about Gautam Gambhir’s role as India’s head coach.

"The workload might be too demanding for Gambhir" - Monty Panesar

Panesar also suggested the Board of Control for Cricket in India come up with some harsh and ‘hard-and-fast-lined’ decisions to take the Team out of the current crisis.

“I believe that’s a solid suggestion. The workload might be too demanding for Gambhir at this point, especially since he’s still relatively new to coaching. For some of the senior players, it might be challenging to adjust, as they may think, ‘I played alongside him not long ago, and now he’s directing us on how to approach the game.’ That shift can be tough for both sides,” said Monty Panesar to the Times of India.

“Moreover, his batting performance in both Australia and England has been below average. Gambhir averages just 23 in Australia, and his performance in England hasn’t been much better. He struggled with the moving ball in both conditions,” he added later. 
Furthermore, the former England star also suggested the name of former Indian batting great VVS Laxman to take over as India’s next head coach.

“I believe India needs a legendary cricketer who has excelled in all conditions to take on the coaching role, as that kind of experience naturally earns respect. The selectors might be questioning whether Gambhir is fully committed to coaching, or if it would be better for him to focus on ODIs and T20s. Perhaps someone like VVS Laxman could be brought in as the Test coach, or even as a batting coach to assist Gambhir,” said Panesar.