Big Setback For India ! Coach Gautam Gambhir To Miss Tour Game In Canberra; Here’s Why
India will miss the services of their head coach Gautam Gambhir when they take on the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra in a two-day tour game starting on November 30. The tour game in Canberra will be a day match but will be played with the pink Kookaburra ball.
According to a PTI report, Gambhir has flown back home with his family due to a “personal emergency”. The Delhi-based Gambhir is unlikely to rejoin the squad before the second Test against Australia beginning December 6 in Adelaide.
“He left with his family on early Tuesday morning for India. It is an unavoidable personal emergency. He will be back in Adelaide before the start of the second Test match,” a BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
The report added that the Indian team will leave for Canberra on Wednesday, where it is expected to attend an official reception by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Notably, the two-day match will be crucial preparation for the side as the second Test is going to be a day-night game. The pink Kookaburra ball will be used during the clash.
Prime Minister’s XI will be led by all-rounder Jack Edwards and it is a squad full of youngsters, along with a few Test-capped internationals like Scott Boland and Matthew Renshaw.
After thrashing Australia in the Perth Test, India lead the five-match series 1-0. They made a stunning comeback from being whitewashed 3-0 at home by New Zealand.
In absence of head coach Gautam Gambhir, assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar, Ryan ten Doeschate and Morne Morkel will collectively be in charge.
Meanwhile, captain Rohit Sharma, who was on paternity leave during the first Test in Perth, is available for selection for the second match of the series. His inclusion in the Playing XI will force the side to change their opening combination.
In Rohit’s absence, KL Rahul opened the Indian innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal and they did a superb job. With Rohit’s return as opener, it will be interesting to see where Rahul bats in the second Test.
On the other hand, Shubman Gill had also missed the Perth Test with a fractured thumb. There is no update yet on Gill’s recovery but he will likely miss the tour game. His fitness will be assessed during the training days ahead of the Adelaide Test.
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