Gautam Accepted for Irresponsible Game
Gautam Gambhir feels his team has warranted the scathing criticism they
are receiving from all quarters for losing their seventh consecutive
overseas Test. The India opener said the team has accepted criticism and
is looking forward to next week's fourth and final Test at Adelaide.
The Indians, sans Zaheer Khan, hit the nets here at the Western
Australia Cricket Association Ground (WACA) yesterday. They will leave
for Adelaide today afternoon. "I am not someone who will hesitate to
take responsibility. We have not played well. It's as simple as that. I
will be the first one to accept it," Gambhir told reporters after
India's training session yesterday.
"If we want to be the No 1 Test-playing nation in the world again, we have to do well overseas. That has always been my stand. You have to do well in England, South Africa and Australia. Whatever backlash is happening in India, we are ready to accept it. We have given the opportunity to people back home to give whatever they are giving (us). There is a lot of expectation from us. They all want us to do well. And with the kind of batting line-up we have, we should have done well," he added.
Gambhir said the side was trying to stay motivated for the task ahead. "It is disappointing but the mood is absolutely fine. When you are playing for your country and there is another Test match coming around in six days, you need to be up for it. You still have to turn out and be positive, try and look at it as a new Test and try to win. I know things have not gone our way, but we still need to be positive. There is a one-day series coming up. Hopefully we can play well in Adelaide, and take the momentum into the one-day series."
Gambhir felt it was unfair to hold VVS Laxman as the sole culprit for the batting woes. "Look, my question is, why criticize one person? He has been a legend of the game. It's not only Laxman but all of us (who have failed to score runs). The top six, top seven should be criticized equally. We have all failed as a unit. So why only Laxman?
"He has served Indian cricket for a long, long time. There should not be anyone who should be deciding about his retirement. It should be him. Rather than criticizing just one person, you should be criticizing all seven batsmen. The entire team is behind him (Laxman). I have always believed you should not criticize only one or two people," he added.
"If we want to be the No 1 Test-playing nation in the world again, we have to do well overseas. That has always been my stand. You have to do well in England, South Africa and Australia. Whatever backlash is happening in India, we are ready to accept it. We have given the opportunity to people back home to give whatever they are giving (us). There is a lot of expectation from us. They all want us to do well. And with the kind of batting line-up we have, we should have done well," he added.
Gambhir said the side was trying to stay motivated for the task ahead. "It is disappointing but the mood is absolutely fine. When you are playing for your country and there is another Test match coming around in six days, you need to be up for it. You still have to turn out and be positive, try and look at it as a new Test and try to win. I know things have not gone our way, but we still need to be positive. There is a one-day series coming up. Hopefully we can play well in Adelaide, and take the momentum into the one-day series."
Gambhir felt it was unfair to hold VVS Laxman as the sole culprit for the batting woes. "Look, my question is, why criticize one person? He has been a legend of the game. It's not only Laxman but all of us (who have failed to score runs). The top six, top seven should be criticized equally. We have all failed as a unit. So why only Laxman?
"He has served Indian cricket for a long, long time. There should not be anyone who should be deciding about his retirement. It should be him. Rather than criticizing just one person, you should be criticizing all seven batsmen. The entire team is behind him (Laxman). I have always believed you should not criticize only one or two people," he added.
"There was a lot of expectation from us on this tour... the kind of batting we have, we've let the entire nation down," Gambhir told reporters on Tuesday.
India were trounced inside three days by an innings and 23 runs in Perth last Sunday, the side's seventh straight loss in an overseas Test.
"Hopefully we can turn things around in Adelaide (and) put some smiles on the faces of the people back home," Gambhir said.
It has been a lopsided series in terms of a contest with the young and the inexperienced Australia pace attack exposing India's fragility against swing and seam bowling.
"Whatever backlash that's happening in India, we are ready to accept. We've given opportunity for people to criticize," Gambhir admitted. "We have not played well. I'll be the first to accept that. If you want to be the No. 1 Test playing nation, you have to start winning overseas, whether it is Australia, England or South Africa."
Laxman, 37, has managed 102 runs in six innings at an average of 17, and there have been suggestions by former India players that he should retire.
Although India's chief selector K Srikkanth has said Laxman's place in the lineup is safe, the 133-Test veteran, who made his name in Test cricket with his match-winning 281 against Australia in Kolkata in 2001, has been struggling lately.
After averaging 22.75 in India's 4-0 series loss in England, Laxman scored 298 runs at 99.33 at home against the West Indies before embarking on the tour to Australia.
"Why criticize one person. He's been a legend of the game. Why only VVS Laxman?" Gambhir said. "The top seven (batsmen) should be criticized. We all have failed as a unit. He's served Indian cricket for a long, long time. No one else should decide when it's best for Laxman to retire. He should make that decision."
Struggling Indian opener Gautam Gambhir today conceded that his team has
let the entire nation down in the ongoing Test series against Australia
and has failed to live up to the expectations. India trail the
four-match series 0-3 and are in danger of a second successive Test
whitewash abroad after the England debacle last year.
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