Dinesh Karthik blames Gautam Gambhir for Virat Kohli's poor show vs New Zealand in Bengaluru

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter and cricket pandit Dinesh Karthik lashed out at the head coach Gautam Gambhir for his remarks on Virat Kohli after the former captain was dismissed for a duck in the ongoing first Test against New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The batting lineup of the Indian cricket team crumbled under relentless pressure from New Zealand on Day 2 of the first Test in Bengaluru. With expectations high after rain washed out the first day, India’s dismal display with the bat left fans stunned as they were bowled out for a mere 46 runs in just over 31 overs in their first innings against New Zealand in Bengaluru.

Dinesh Karthik slams Gautam Gambhir's decision to promote Virat Kohli in India's crushing collapse in Bengaluru

The collapse saw the Indian team struggling to find any momentum, with only Rishabh Pant (20) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (13) managing to put up double figures, while the rest of the batting order fell apart spectacularly with five players dismissing for ducks at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

New Zealand’s spin all-rounder Matt Henry and pacer Will O'Rourke wreaked havoc on India’s batting lineup with clinical precision. Henry’s five-wicket haul and O'Rourke’s four-wicket haul left the entire India in shock. It marked one of India’s worst batting collapses recently.

Before this surprising drama, a surprising shuffle in the batting order saw Virat Kohli promoted to the number three spot, a move that raised many eyebrows, as the former Indian captain was batting at number four for the last eight years in Test cricket. This position has typically been held by Shubman Gill, who missed the Bengaluru Test due to a stiff neck.

Gill’s injury led to Kohli’s promotion in India’s batting order, but this daring move by the head coach Gautam Gambhir backfired. Reacting to the bold call, Dinesh Karthik said that he is not protecting Virat Kohli and neither defending his poor show in the first inning, but said Gambhir made the mistake.

I am not protecting Virat Kohli: Dinesh Karthik

The cricket expert said that Kohli is better suited to his usual number four position, where he has historically thrived in Test cricket, so according to him, either KL Rahul or Sarfaraz Khan should have been promoted to No. 3 and allow the right-hander to bat at his usual batting posting in Bengaluru.

Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz: “I am not protecting Virat Kohli. He has the temperament and technique of some of the greatest batters that have ever played. If I make a change, it is because I believe that player will do well there, not because I want to protect Virat Kohli. He walks in at no. 3 in every ODI; he opens in T20; now you can say the ball is different; it's not moving as much, 100 percent; in Test cricket, where is the best-suited place for Virat Kohli, no. 4?”

The former Indian cricketer praised Virat Kohli for stepping up and taking responsibility by batting at the No. 3 position, where he usually bats in ODIs. But Karthik believes that Gautam Gambhir should be blamed for Kohli and the Indian team’s poor performance with the bat against the Kiwis.

Dinesh Karthik slams Gautam Gambhir's call, says KL should have batted at No.3 against New Zealand in the Bengaluru Test

Karthik signed off by saying, “Commendable on Virat Kohli also; he could have easily said, 'No, let me bat at four because you can put KL Rahul or Sarfaraz Khan at three.' The coach would have said, 'Fine, I will manage that conversation.' The fact that he said, 'No, I am happy to go at three,' tells you the mindset.

Results are one thing; obviously, it hasn't gone his way today, but just the fact that India is in a place where people are willing to adapt and at the same time give respect to what the coach thinks, I won't say it is the right decision. I still feel personally KL should have batted at three; that's what I feel; that's different.

But I definitely don't follow Gambhir's thinking of Let's have the same batting order, so that there's consistency in their thought process and eventually the results will come out.”