India men’s cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir has rejoined the squad in Leeds, England, just ahead of the first Test which commences this Friday. Gambhir had briefly returned to India last week following reports of his mother’s hospitalization due to health complications.
During his absence, which began just before an intra-squad match in Beckenham, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate stepped in to take charge.
This tour holds significant importance for Gambhir, whose tenure as head coach has seen a mix of results so far. While India lifted the Champions Trophy earlier this year under his guidance, they also failed to qualify for the World Test Championship final for the first time in three cycles.
This was largely due to losing five of their last eight Tests, including a historic clean sweep at home against New Zealand last year, which ultimately knocked them out of WTC final contention.
The upcoming series marks the dawn of a new era in Indian Test cricket, with Shubman Gill taking the reins as the new captain. This transition comes as seasoned veterans like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin have all recently retired from the format.
All the best to team India!
