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Key Points

Karun Nair opened up about Gautam Gambhir's impact during India's challenging England tour. The batter credited Gambhir for fostering team spirit after recent defeats. Nair specifically appreciated the coach's personal encouragement during his comeback series. While results were mixed, the tour marked a positive shift for India's transitional Test squad.

Key Points: Karun Nair Credits Gambhir for India's England Test Series Fightback

  • Gambhir prioritized team-first approach against England
  • Nair highlights coach's role in rebuilding confidence
  • India broke losing streak with hard-fought draw
  • Young squad stepped up without senior stalwarts
2 min read

Nair hails Gambhir for giving Team India encouragement and support during England tour

Nair reveals Gambhir's motivational role in India's gritty 2-2 England draw, praising his focus on team unity during transition phase.

"Gauti bhai gave us encouragement to play fearless cricket in England - Karun Nair to RevSportz"

Kolkata, August 15

Indian batter Karun Nair hailed head coach Gautam Gambhir for giving the team a "lot of encouragement and support" during the England tour of five Tests, which marked a moment of transition for India, led by a young Shubman Gill, with stalwarts like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin having hung up their whites.

After a whitewash against New Zealand at home by 3-0 which ended India's 12 year unbeaten home run and a horrid tour to Australia where India surrendered the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by 1-3 after a decade, Gambhir, Team India and fans finally caught a break collectively as Team India secured a very-hard-fought 2-2 draw against England in their own territory, with the quality of cricket played by India garnering plenty of acclaim.

Speaking to Boria Majumdar on RevSportz, Karun said the right from the start, the message was about putting the team first and beating England in their own territory.

"The whole goal of the series was to do something special as a team. It was really inspiring to see this message coming from him from day one, and everyone really bought into it, which you must have noticed as the series progressed. Gauti bhai was someone who gave us a lot of encouragement and support. I can talk for myself that he really gave me the confidence to go out there and give it my best. So, the whole focus was to go out there and play the way I know, to play for the team in any situation that I was in," he added.

Nair ended his comeback series with 205 runs in eight matches at an average of 25.62, with just one fifty. His comeback to international cricket after eight years was underwhelming after a monster domestic cricket season, as he could not convert his solid 30s and 40s into something of substance.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
While I appreciate Gambhir's efforts, Karun Nair's performance was disappointing. After 8 years away, he should have capitalized better on this opportunity. Our bench strength needs to step up!
R
Rohit P
Drawing in England is no small feat! Remember how we struggled there in past tours. Gambhir's 'team first' approach reminds me of Dada's era. Good times ahead for Indian cricket!
S
Sarah B
As someone new to following Indian cricket, I'm impressed by how the team bounced back. Gambhir seems to have brought fresh energy. Excited to see more of this young team's journey!
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Vikram M
The real test will be against Australia next year. Hope Gambhir can maintain this positive environment. Also, we need to find consistent openers - Gill can't do it all alone!
K
Kavya N
Emotional to see Gambhir in this role after his playing days! He's always been passionate about Indian cricket. Hope he gets proper time to build this team, not like previous coaches who were changed too quickly.

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