A shocking report suggests that India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has been overriding decisions made by Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill and this may have stopped India from winning the 2nd Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo. The hosts pulled off an incredible escape on the final day, thanks to a brilliant batting effort led by Sonal Dinusha, denying India a victory despite starting the day in a tough spot, following on, with just four wickets remaining and a lead of only 16 runs.
Sri Lanka’s batters held firm throughout the day, with Sonal Dinusha remaining unbeaten on a century as the match ended in a draw. Even so, India still claimed the series 1-0.
Reports from a cricket portal suggest that Shubman Gill had wanted to declare India’s first innings earlier on Day 2 but Gautam Gambhir disagreed, wanting to give Dhruv Jurel the chance to complete his century. Dhruv Jurel did go on to score his hundred and India eventually declared their innings at 503 for 9.
A source close to the team reportedly hinted that there’s rising unease within the setup, suggesting the coach appears to be stepping in on the captain’s calls more frequently than expected.
Speaking to the media after the match, Shubman Gill said he didn’t believe India could have done anything differently to change the result. He praised Sri Lanka’s batting effort and spoke highly of the quality of the overall contest. He explained that the team had fielded for around 150 overs and had given their best effort throughout, adding that decisions like enforcing the follow-on could only be judged in hindsight, especially with the weather conditions in mind. He noted that you make the best call you can at that moment and this time things simply didn’t go India’s way but overall, it was a fantastic game and one where Test cricket itself came out on top.
Shubman Gill also pointed out several positives from the match, saying there was a lot to learn from the opposition. He admitted it was impressive to watch Sri Lanka fight back the way they did, reiterating that India couldn’t have approached things any differently, and crediting the opposition’s bowlers for their brilliant performance throughout the game.
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