Haan, sunne mein thodi si kharabi lagti hai, kyunki jab team ek bade Test series ke liye taiyaari kar rahi ho, aur woh bhi England jaisi strong team ke khilaaf, toh head coach ka aise chhodkar jana thoda sa dil dukha deta hai. Par thodi der ruko, baat mein twist hai – Gambhir ki wajah ek family emergency hai, aur woh bhi unki maa ke serious health issue ke wajah se. Ab yeh toh koi bhi samajh sakta hai ki family pehle aati hai, chahe kitna bhi bada mauka ho. Par phir bhi, thodi si chinta toh banta hai – team ke saath head coach nahi, toh kya India ka game plan thokar kha jayega?
Ab yeh dekho, Gambhir ke na hone par team ko sambhalne ka jimma liya hai assistant coaches Sitanshu Kotak, Ryan ten Doeschate, aur Morne Morkel ne. Yeh teeno mil kar India aur India A ke beech ek intra-squad match ko oversee kar rahe hain, jo Beckenham mein ho raha hai. Yeh match ek tarah se practice hai, jisme team apne aap ko England ke tough conditions ke liye ready kar rahi hai. Ab yeh teeno coaches koi chhote-mote naam nahi hain. Ryan ten Doeschate, ek former Netherlands all-rounder, jo apne samajhdaar approach ke liye jaane jaate hain. Morne Morkel, South Africa ka woh fast bowler, jiska naam sunte hi batters ke paseene chhoot jaate the, ab India ke bowlers ko tips de raha hai. Aur Sitanshu Kotak, jo domestic cricket ka ek chhupa rustam hai, batting ko naye rang mein dhaal sakta hai. Yeh teeno mil kar team ko sambhal rahe hain, aur suna hai ki practice sessions mein energy kafi achhi dikhai de rahi hai. Morne Morkel ne toh yeh bhi kaha ki fast bowlers ke liye conditions perfect hain, aur players ka confidence badh raha hai.
Yeh baat toh dil ko chhoo jati hai ki jab ek bada coach na ho, toh team ka support staff kitni mehnat se kaam mein lag jata hai. Yaad hai na, jab 2021 mein India ne England ko unke hi ghar mein 2-1 se Test series mein haraaya tha? Us waqt bhi team ke saath thodi si uncertainty thi, kyunki Virat Kohli ke form par sawaal uth rahe the, aur Ravi Shastri ke coaching style ko leke bhi charcha hoti thi. Par India ke players, jaise Jasprit Bumrah aur Cheteshwar Pujara, ne apne dum par series jeet li. Aisa hi kuch is baar bhi ho sakta hai. Shubman Gill, jo ab captain hain, unke saath ek nayi team hai, jismein experienced players jaise Virat Kohli aur Rohit Sharma nahi hain. Par ismein ek mauka hai – naye players jaise Karun Nair, jinko Gambhir ne support kiya hai, apne aap ko prove kar sakte hain. Yeh nayi team, jo shayad England jaisi badi team ke muqable thodi kamzor dikhti hai, apne dum par kuch kar guzar sakti hai.
Lekin yeh bhi sochne wali baat hai ki Gambhir ka wapas aana kab tak hoga? Unki maa ki health ke baare mein updates bolte hain ki woh ICU mein hain, aur Gambhir ka return date fixed nahi hai. Agar woh June 20 ko shuru hone wale pehle Test tak na aaye, toh kya hoga? Team ka morale kaisa rahega? Yeh intra-squad match toh thik hai, par asli jung toh England ke khilaaf hai, aur wahan har ek decision matter karta hai. Gambhir ka experience, unka aggressive andaaz, aur unki strategy – yeh sab team ke liye zaroori hai. Yaad karo jab 2007 mein India ne T20 World Cup jeeta tha, Gambhir ne khud kaha tha ki woh roadshows ke fan nahi hain, kyunki unke liye kaam pe focus rakhna zyaada zaroori hai. Ab jab team ko unki zarurat hai, toh unka na hona thoda sa dil tod deta hai.
Phir bhi, cricket ek aisa khel hai jahan team ka saath aur ekta hi jeet dilati hai. Yeh teeno assistant coaches aur naye captain Shubman Gill ke saath, India shayad England ko ek unexpected surprise de sakti hai. Par dil ke ek kone mein yeh darr bhi hai ki bina Gambhir ke, kya team woh dum dikha payegi jo woh plan karti hai? Bas yahi ummeed hai ki Gambhir jaldi wapas aayein, aur team apne full josh ke saath England ko haraaye. Warna, agar yeh series haath se nikal gayi, toh phir Gambhir ke critics ko ek naya bahana mil jayega unpar nishana saadhne ka.
