New Delhi [India], August 2 : Former India cricketer and current Champions League T10 commissioner Chetan Sharma weighed in on the recent pitch controversy between Oval curator Lee Fortis and India head coach Gautam Gambhir, while also strongly supporting the decision to rest Jasprit Bumrah for the fifth Test.
Addressing the curator-coach issue, Sharma brushed aside any concerns, expressing full faith in the Indian think tank.
"They are very experienced coaches and that's a good team management. They will handle it. No problem," Sharma told ANI.
Gambhir had an altercation with Lee regarding the practice facilities and allegedly not being given access to the pitch for an inspection from closed quarters. As he stepped away, the Indian head coach animatedly pointed a finger and said a couple of words. India's batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, was seen stepping in, taking Lee away and having a brief conversation with him.
Kotak, along with a couple of members of the Indian management, were seen trying to explain the situation to an English official. Kotak was the one who spoke for the majority of the period. While Kotak appeared to diffuse the situation while explaining their stance, Gambhir, who stood near the nets, pointed his finger towards Lee and furiously said, "You don't tell us what to do."
India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate joined Kotak during his conversation with Lee, while Gambhir continued to make his point from the other end. Lee said a couple of words to Gambhir before eventually walking away from the scene. Lee was quizzed about the entire situation, but he chose to remain tight-lipped while speaking to the reporters and said, "It is not my job to be happy with him. I don't know, you have to ask him."
Moving on to Bumrah's absence in the series decider, Sharma was clear in his stance protecting India's pace spearhead is far more important than risking a long-term injury.
"End of the day, we have to give him a break. We should not ruin Bumrah's career, he needs a break. Everybody knew he was going to play only three Tests. The medical reports were shared with everyone from Day 1 of the tour," Sharma said.
Criticising the noise around Bumrah being rested, he added, "I don't know why there's such a hue and cry about it. There shouldn't be. He needs a break."
Sharma also pointed out that India managed to win the Test where Bumrah didn't feature, which further proves that the team is functioning well even in the absence of key players.
"See, whether someone is there or not, the Test match in which Bumrah wasn't there, the Indian team won that game. As a cricketer, I would rather see Bumrah fit and available for longer than see him play one Test and then sit out for 6-8 months," he noted.
He concluded by saying that the decision-makers, team management and selectors are in the best position to take such calls.
"I think the management knows better than us because they are answerable. I am not answerable. The selectors know it well. They are answerable. So, whatever they are doing, they are doing it right," he said.
On Friday, Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was released from the Indian squad for fifth Test against England. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) issued a statement, saying, "Jasprit Bumrah has been released from India's squad for the fifth Test of the series against England. The fifth and final Test of the series is underway at Kennington Oval, London."
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