THE eight-day gap between the third and fourth Tests must have allowed the Indian team to reflect on the missed opportunities at Lord’s. They simply stuttered at the last hurdle to gift away a victory that was written for India. With 1-2 down and the series on the line, this begins the toughest test for young captain Shubman Gill. He is still learning the tricks of the trade and showed a fine brain and attitude in the three Tests so far as captain. However, a lot of things have changed after the Lord’s Test. Some difficult calls need to be taken, men for the mission need to be marked, and more importantly a message of confidence needs to be spread in the team.

 

This is the real test, not just for Gill but also for head coach Gautam Gambhir. In all the three games in the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy series so far, all the spotlight has remained fixated on captain Gill. He soaked in the pressure and delivered some fine knocks to help the Indian cause. A lot more are definitely in store in the next two games. But it is not about Gill the batsman. It is more about Gill the captain. And here comes the role of the coach who has remained out of the media glare for quite some time on this tour. The captain-coach relationship holds immense significance in a team sport. Many young captains have thrived under coaches sharing the same passion. It is a melange of two minds sharing same wavelength. Teams in various sports around the world have seen wonders of the chemistry between like-minded coaches and captains. Coaches carry a double responsibility of finding proper tuning with each player and a special bond with the captain for being the ultimate decision-maker. Indian cricket has reaped the benefits of successful coach combinations in the last two decades or so.

 

The biggest change in the team’s mentality was effected by the combo of Sourav Ganguly and John Wright when they forged a wonderful partnership to bring Indian cricket out of the horrors of match-fixing saga. Later, the duo of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Gary Kirsten realised India’s ultimate dream of a World Cup victory and making to the top of the Test rankings. The Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri pair gave the team the mantra of ‘attack is the best defence’ and the Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid alliance ensured a smooth ride towards transition.

 

Right now, in England, Gill needs the heart and mind and the street-fighting instincts of Gambhir. Going by the three Tests, both Gill and Gambhir seemed to have found a common ground on strategies and men to implement those plans. It has paid dividends in good terms though the team squandered two chances to lose two Tests. The pause in the series now offers both Gill and Gambhir to review their planning and zero in on the players they will need in the remaining two Tests. Unanimity on the way forward is a must for the coach-captain duo.