‘Gautam Gambhir & Co. more interested in keeping their positions safe’: India legend's shocking accusations

The 1983 World Cup winner, Balwinder Singh Sandhu, has launched a brutal attack on the Gautam Gambhir-led India coaching staff following the Eden Gardens Test disaster.

Balwinder Singh Sandhu stated that the Indian coaching staff has failed to make any contributions to the team, and they are more focused on keeping their positions safe.

Morne Morkel can't teach Indian spinners anything new - Balwinder Singh Sandhu

Team India suffered a 30-run loss in the Test series opener against Team South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The pitch prepared for the match was a horrible one, and it provided too much support to the bowlers.

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From the very first day, the spinners got the excessive turn, and the uneven bounce on the pitch meant that the pacers were unplayable most of the time.

Both India and South Africa batters looked miserable in the match, and Temba Bavuma was the only player who managed to breach the 50-run mark.

Meanwhile, Balwinder Singh Sandhu blasted India after the defeat, saying that their strategy was weak and questioning Morne Morkel's contributions.

"India's overall strategy was weak. On a pitch like that, one end needs to be tied down by a defensive bowler, and the other must attack in short, sharp bursts - Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Jadeja. That's how you build pressure. About our support staff - well, Morne Morkel can't teach Indian spinners anything new," Balwinder Singh Sandhu wrote in his column for Mid-Day.

To Gautam Gambhir's credit, he accepted responsibility - Balwinder Singh Sandhu

The 1983 World Cup winner added that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) needs to be very careful while appointing the coaches in the Indian team.

"And the less said about the batting coach, the better. The BCCI must take responsibility for appointing support staff who seem more interested in keeping their positions safe than actually contributing," he said.

Sandhu further commended head coach Gautam Gambhir for admitting that he asked for the pitch and backed Sourav Ganguly's call for Mohammed Shami's return to the Test setup. He said:

"To Gautam Gambhir's credit, he accepted responsibility for the turner instead of blaming the pitch - politically correct, maybe not fully accurate. CAB President Sourav Ganguly acted quickly to shield the pitch from criticism and also highlighted Mohammed Shami's case. And I fully agree. Shami deserves a proper farewell, and he has proved his fitness through domestic cricket."

Then came the biggest blunder - playing four spinners - Balwinder Singh Sandhu

Balwinder Singh Sandhu also tore into Gautam Gambhir and Sitanshu Kotak for their inability to figure out the strengths and weaknesses of Team India, and reminded everyone of the historic humiliation that the Kiwis handed to the Indian team last year.

"New Zealand thrashed us in our own backyard not long ago. Yet we repeat the same errors. It clearly shows a poor understanding of our current players' abilities. For a head coach and batting coach, that's unacceptable. Being a coach myself, I feel any coach who has been around for years should know his team's strengths, weaknesses, and mindset inside out. We still don't know who is ready to step into the shoes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who, I feel, were moved out too quickly. Youngsters should be groomed around seniors, not at the cost of them," Sandhu wrote further.

"Then came the biggest blunder - playing four spinners when the opposition had only two. It showed complete confusion about who the main attacking spinner actually was. And ironically, pacers from both sides took the crucial wickets. Even the batting order showed a lack of game understanding."

Also Read: India coach exposes huge 'anti-Gautam Gambhir agenda' after Kolkata Test disaster