In a recent development, Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir will fly back to India amid the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 series in Australia. According to a report in The Indian Express, Gautam Gambhir will leave the Indian Test team in Australia for “personal reasons”.
Team India scored a resounding 295-run victory in the first Test of the five-match series against Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Monday, November 25. India took a 1-0 lead in the ongoing Test series and returned to the top of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 standings.
Gautam Gambhir to fly back to India from Australia ahead of second Test
Following their victory in the series opener in Perth, the visiting team will travel to Canberra for a pink ball practice match. This two-day match against the Prime Minister’s XI is scheduled to begin on Saturday, November 30. Captain Rohit Sharma joined the Indian team during the first Test match.
Gautam Gambhir will return to India from Australia on Tuesday due to personal reasons. However, he is expected to rejoin the team ahead of the second Test, a pink-ball match, starting in Adelaide on December 6.
“Gambhir has informed us that he will travel back home and join the team before the start of the second Test. He has cited personal reasons and the BCCI has accepted his request,” Indian Express quoted a source as saying.
It is not yet known who will oversee the tour’s match proceedings. In the absence of Gautam Gambhir, the support staff – assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate, bowling coach Morne Morkel and fielding coach T Dilip – will take charge of the training sessions in consultation with Rohit Sharma.
Rohit Sharma joined the Indian team on Day 4 of the Perth Test
Rohit Sharma, who missed the Perth Test due to the birth of his second child, joined the team in Australia on Sunday. He was seen with Gautam Gambhir in the dressing room on day 4 of the first Test. During the lunch break that day, the right-handed batsman practiced with a pink ball in the nets.
Hitman @ImRo45 He just completed his first networking session in Australia and not even the commentators could keep calm!#TeamIndia #AUSWIN pic.twitter.com/vsonrdc2ud
-BCCI (@BCCI) November 25, 2024
We have Indian captain Rohit Sharma – David Warner
Talking about Rohit Sharma’s practice, David Warner said that the Indian captain looked good while taking on the Indian fast bowlers in the nets. Warner expressed his excitement to see Rohit back on the field in Australia.
David Warner said: “And just during the lunch break here in the nets, we have India captain Rohit Sharma who has just arrived in the country.”
“He looks good and strong against his compatriots here in the nets. We have some of the Indian fast bowlers bowling towards the captain ahead of the pink ball Test match starting on December 6 in Adelaide. As we just saw there Mukesh Kumar “He made a good delivery, but it’s great to see the captain here and we’re looking forward to seeing him again in the park on Australian soil,” he added.
Also Read: ICC World Test Championship Points Table, WTC Table after 1st Test IND vs AUS 2024