India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, will temporarily leave the team during their ongoing tour of Australia due to personal reasons. The BCCI confirmed that Gambhir’s request has been accepted, and he is expected to rejoin the squad on December 3, just ahead of the second Test, a pink-ball encounter starting in Adelaide on December 6.
The BCCI has confirmed that Gautam Gambhir will temporarily leave the team to address personal matters. He is expected to rejoin the squad ahead of the second Test. The board has accepted his request for this brief absence, emphasizing its support for players managing personal priorities alongside professional commitments. A BCCI source told The Indian Express on Monday stating “Gambhir has informed us that he will be travelling back home and will join the team before the start of the second Test. He has cited personal reasons and the BCCI has accepted his request,”
While Gambhir returns to India, the team’s support staff, including assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate, bowling coach Morne Morkel, and fielding coach T. Dilip, will oversee training sessions under the guidance of captain Rohit Sharma. Rohit, who missed the first Test due to the birth of his second child, joined the team in Australia on Sunday and was seen practicing in Perth on Monday.
India secured a dominant 295-run victory over Australia in the first Test, led by Jasprit Bumrah’s stellar all-round performance. After being bowled out for 150 in the first innings, with debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy top-scoring with 41, India fought back by dismissing Australia for just 104. Bumrah’s fiery 5/30 and debutant Harshit Rana’s 3-wicket haul gave India a crucial 46-run lead.
In the second innings, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s brilliant 161, KL Rahul’s 77, and Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 100 powered India to 487/6 declared, setting a target of 534. Despite Travis Head’s gritty 89, Australia folded for 238, with Bumrah claiming 8 wickets in the match and earning Player of the Match honors.
The team now travels to Canberra on Wednesday for a two-day pink-ball tour game starting Saturday. The second Test will mark a critical match in the series, as Australia looks to bounce back and reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade-long wait and India will look to claim their third consecutive trophy triumph.
This series is also a significant test for Gambhir’s leadership since his appointment as head coach, especially after India’s recent whitewash in the Test series against New Zealand on home soil.