London, July 31 Former England captain Michael Atherton has issued a strong warning to India head coach Gautam Gambhir, stating that a third straight Test series loss would place the former opener under significant pressure just a year into his role.
India, who are trailing 1-2 in the ongoing five-Test series against England, must win the final match at The Oval to avoid yet another series defeat. The team arrived in England on the back of a 0-3 whitewash at home to New Zealand, followed by a 1-3 loss in the high-profile Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year.
Speaking on Sky Sports ahead of the fifth Test, Atherton did not mince words about the expectations placed on Indian cricket. “Well, they've lost two series in a row. They lost at home to New Zealand 3-0 and they lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1. If they lose this series then yeah, he's under pressure as a coach,” Atherton said, pointing directly to Gambhir’s growing burden.
“India, with all their resources, their population strength, they're not a team that people are patient with. They're expected to win every time they walk onto the park. So, three Test series defeats in a row would be a problem for him," he added.
The stakes are high for Gambhir, who took over as head coach in July last year amid considerable optimism about a cultural shift in the Indian camp. However, results in red-ball format have not gone his way so far.
Looking to salvage the series, India made four changes to their playing XI for the final Test at The Oval. Dhruv Jurel replaced the injured Rishabh Pant behind the stumps while pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was rested and replaced by Prasidh Krishna.
Akash Deep, who missed the previous Test due to injury, returned in place of Anshul Kamboj. Meanwhile, middle-order batter Karun Nair was recalled in place of Shardul Thakur.
However, India’s start to the match was far from ideal. After losing the toss for the fifth time in the series, captain Shubman Gill saw his openers - Yashasvi Jaiswal (2) and KL Rahul (14) - dismissed early under overcast conditions. Gill and Sai Sudharsan then steadied the innings with a composed partnership, taking India to 72/2 at lunch on Day 1.
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