Manoj Tiwary slams Gambhir (Source: @tiwarymanoj/x.com, @Gagan4344/x.com)
After Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma stepped away from Test cricket, Team India entered a transition phase, but no one expected it to turn this messy. In the recently ended first Test against South Africa, the Men in Blue faced a bizarre defeat as which has created buzz.
Rohit and Kohli’s Test exit triggered heated talks about a so-called transition phase, and Manoj Tiwary jumped right into the debate. Slamming Gambhir, the former batter said Team India doesn’t need a transition.
Manoj Tiwary dismisses talk of a 'Transition Phase' for India
After former Indian batter Gautam Gambhir replaced former Indian head coach Rahul Dravid, Indian cricket witnessed some major changes. Amidst all, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s Test exit remained debatable as India called it a transitional phase. But after the stars hung up their boots, India’s performance in the longest format witnessed a massive dip.
After a heartbreaking defeat in the Kolkata Test against South Africa, the criticism was harsh as fans questioned the ‘transition’. Speaking to India Today, former batter Manoj Tiwary dismissed the transition narrative entirely, arguing that Rohit and Kohli were pushed out of the Test setup despite still having plenty to offer.
“This whole “transition phase” talk—I don’t agree with it. India doesn’t need a transition. New Zealand or Zimbabwe need transition. Our domestic cricket is full of talented performers waiting for chances. Because of this unnecessary transition, our star players—like Virat and Rohit—who wanted to keep playing Test cricket and protect its sanctity, slowly stepped back because of the atmosphere created around them,” he said.
Tiwary hits out at Gambhir's comments after the Test loss
Despite taking early control, Team India faced a heartbreaking defeat in the first Test against South Africa at the Eden Gardens. After the setback, the coach subtly questioned the players’ effort, while Manoj Tiwary responded to Gautam Gambhir’s remarks on the loss.
“You cannot blame players' technique after losing. As a coach, your job is to teach, not to blame. If the batters didn’t have solid defence, why weren’t they trained before the match? When he played, Gambhir himself was a good player of spin, so he should teach more. The results aren’t in India’s favour,” he added.
After a 30-run setback in the series opener against South Africa, Team India find themselves trailing 0-1. As the second Test is set to go live on November 22, the Men in Blue will be eyeing a remarkable win.
