Uthappa Defends Gambhir After India’s SA Test Defeat
India head coach Gautam Gambhir faced heavy criticism after India’s 30-run defeat to South Africa in the second Test. The match ended inside three days on a pitch that offered sharp turn from the opening session. Amid the backlash, former cricketer Robin Uthappa stepped in and supported Gambhir, saying the blame was misplaced.
During a YouTube live session, Uthappa said, “I saw a comment yesterday suggesting that I was defending GG. Yaar, coach thodi jaake khel raha hai andar (The coach is not playing out there).”
He added, “We are looking at the results and blaming a coach, but you have to look at the overall scenario. When they criticised Rahul Dravid, it didn’t make sense to me. Scoring 20-30 thousand international runs is not easy. So, if he can be trolled, anyone can be trolled.”
Uthappa Highlights Domestic Pitch Issues Behind India’s Spin Trouble
Uthappa shifted the conversation toward a deeper issue. He argued that India’s struggle against spin comes from the kind of pitches prepared in domestic cricket. According to him, Indian batters rarely face turning tracks in the Ranji Trophy, which limits their growth.
He explained, “We had neutral curators come and control the kind of wickets we were going to prepare. Because if a game got over in two days, the groundsmen and association were reprimanded. But here, matches are getting over in two-and-a-half days. However, you say no to those types of wickets in the Ranji Trophy.”
Uthappa noted that turning tracks on Day 3 or Day 4 help produce better spin players. But such surfaces have not been encouraged in the last decade.
He said, “You are not encouraged to prepare turning tracks. Even if you are going to prepare a progressively turning track, where there would be a lot of turn on Day 3 and Day 4, you can actually develop batters who are equipped to play well against spin. We have been discouraged from doing that in the past 10 years, and you are taking the players to task for not playing spin well. How will they play if they don’t play matches in those conditions?”
Focus Shifts From Gambhir to Structural Issues
Uthappa’s remarks redirected the debate from Gambhir’s coaching to India’s domestic structure. His view suggests that the problem lies not in leadership but in preparation conditions. The discussion around pitches and player development is likely to continue after this loss.
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