Chandigarh, Jan 5 After India's 3-1 Border-Gavaskar Trophy loss to Australia, former cricketer Yograj Singh gave his take on the Indian senior batter's lack of form in the series. Highlighting Virat Kohli's dismissals in the same way throughout the series, he insisted that someone should have told the star batter not to play that shot.
In five Tests, Kohli managed to make only 190 runs and was dismissed eight times while chasing balls outside off-stump. Rohit, on the other hand, who missed the Perth Test because of the birth of his second child, managed only 31 runs in three Tests, before opting to rest for the fifth Test in Sydney.
Singh said if a player is representing India, then he might not necessarily need coaching in the traditional sense but rather require man-management to uplift his game.
"The role of a coach becomes a significant question when you are playing for India. When you're an exceptional player representing India, you might not necessarily need coaching in the traditional sense. What you truly need is someone for man management. Sometimes, a player's mind gets blocked; they might not be scoring runs, or they keep getting out. No matter how great a player is, they can't be bigger than the game itself," Singh told IANS.
"Such players need someone to guide them, to say, 'Let's go to the nets and work on this'. For example, Virat Kohli got out many times playing his favourite shot - the right-hand push. That shot works on Indian pitches, in England, and elsewhere. But on certain pitches where the ball bounces and carries more, someone should have told him, 'Virat, don’t play this shot'. Just play straight or leave this ball.
"This illustrates the difference between coaching and management. Identifying and pointing out a player’s technical fault is coaching. Someone needs to recognise and convey these technical issues to the players. But who will tell Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli? Even they want someone to come and tell them what’s going wrong," he added.
"I believe what’s needed is proper management - someone who understands when a player’s mind is blocked, when they’re feeling low, and reassures them, saying, 'Don’t worry, we’re here for you. You’ll do it because you’re a great player.' Every player faces a downfall, even the greatest ones. It’s part of the game," he continued.
Speaking about head coach Gautam Gambhir's coaching style, Singh said, "Gambhir is a brilliant cricketer with a brilliant mind. He has the ability to guide the team forward. However, where there’s a mistake, he points it out - and rightly so. But to hold the younger players together, proper management is essential."
"Someone needs to tell them, 'Virat, it’s no big deal; it happens to everyone'. 'Rohit, don’t worry, these phases come and go'. 'Bumrah, you’re doing great; just stay focused'. The younger players, especially fast bowlers like Siraj, need to be guided and supported. Someone should stand with them, show them the way, and help them understand the nuances of the game," he further said.
"When players are down, struggling to perform, management becomes that magic wand that lifts them up," Singh concluded.
With a six-wicket loss in the Sydney Test, India have missed out on a spot in the 2025 World Test Championship final as Australia will face South Africa in the summit clash at Lord's in pursuit of their second consecutive title.
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