ENG vs IND 2025: Gautam Gambhir must tone down with press, India are winning despite his blunders - Sanjay Manjrekar

Published - 28 Jul 2025, 09:59 IST | Updated - 28 Jul 2025, 10:17 IST

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has hinted that India head coach Gautam Gambhir might benefit from adopting a more measured tone during media interactions. His comments followed Gambhir’s remarks after India’s gritty draw in the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, Manchester.

India displayed remarkable resilience, batting through five sessions across two days. Washington Sundar (101*) and Ravindra Jadeja (107*) guided the visitors to safety with an unbroken 203-run stand, following a strong start by KL Rahul (90) and skipper Shubman Gill (103), who batted through the Day 4. Gambhir appeared firm in defending his players and decisions, responding strongly to earlier criticism. Some noted that his remarks, particularly those regarding doubts over Gill, may have come across as too blunt.

“Yeah, you can tell there are certain questions that get under his skin - especially when people question Gill as a young captain and batter. And honestly, those are valid doubts. Even people who deeply understand cricket wonder whether this was the right time to hand him that opportunity. I just hope we can all understand this better. It's not about ‘you guys think’ and ‘we think’ - we're all part of the same industry and the same country. I'd just like to see him take a chill pill, relax a bit, and be open to tough questions. Whether that will happen, I’m not sure,” said Manjrekar on JioHotstar.

Tiwary slams Gambhir's lack of trust in specialists

Manjrekar also hinted that India’s strong performance in the series has come in spite of certain tactical decisions that have drawn scrutiny. Team selection has been one of the focal points of discussion, particularly the continued omission of wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who is yet to feature in the series. Many have noted that the current strategy, driven by an emphasis on batting depth, particularly from head coach and Gill, may have come at the cost of including a more aggressive spin option.

“I feel India has done well despite some of his tactical decisions. Let's not forget: India lost 3-0 at home to New Zealand and lost comfortably to Australia. The fight we’ve seen in this team? That’s down to the players. Because tactically, Gambhir hasn’t always made things easier - especially with some of his selections. And to suggest that Karun Nair ‘wasn’t dropped’... come on. You guys see it as a drop; for them, it's about 'picking the right team'. When a player is dropped, he's dropped," Manjrekar added.