Kotak Stands by Gambhir After Kolkata Loss; Gill, Rabada's Status for Guwahati Test Unclear

Our Sports Reporter

GUWAHATI: Taking a firm stand in support of Gautam Gambhir, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak today said that everyone-players as well as the support staff- must share responsibility for the defeat in Kolkata.

Speaking to the media here, Kotak said, “The team usually prefered spin-friendly tracks in Kolkata, expecting the match to last four to four-and-a-half days. But the rapid disintegration of the pitch on Day 2 was unexpected. Gambhir still took all the blame on his shoulders to shield the curators.”

Kotak added that India did not lose the first Test solely because of the pitch. “South Africa played better cricket than us,” he admitted.

The second Test between India and South Africa will begin in Guwahati on November 22. Indian captain Shubman Gill is still recovering from a neck injury. Providing an update, Kotak said, “Gill is recovering well from the neck spasm he sustained during the first Test in Kolkata. However, a final decision on his availability will be taken on Friday evening after further assessment by the medical team.”

He stressed that the team wants to be cautious with Gill’s recovery to avoid any recurrence that could jeopardise both the player’s health and the team’s plans. Kotak, however, refrained from revealing who might bat at No. 4 if Gill is unavailable than Jurel is an option, but it’s not the right time to speak about it.

With the Kolkata Test behind them, attention has now shifted to the pitch at the ACA Stadium. Kotak said the wicket at the Barsapara venue is expected to behave better than the one in Kolkata. He added that the pitch would ‘probably have a little bounce.’

The Test will start at 9:00 AM- half an hour earlier than usual Test timings in India. Kotak said the early start would not pose any issue. “All are professionals, and they know how to adjust to different conditions,” he said.

India will be playing a Test match at a new venue this time. When asked about it, Kotak remarked, “India is a big country, so it’s absolutely fine for our team to play here.”

Meanwhile, South Africa bowling coach Piet Botha revealed that a final decision on Kagiso Rabada’s participation in the second Test will only be made on the eve of the match. Rabada, who picked up a rib injury during training, was forced to sit out the Kolkata Test. “He’s still under the medical team’s watch. He didn’t train today, and we’ll know more in the next 24 hours,” Botha confirmed.

Speaking about the Guwahati wicket, Botha noted that it was still too early to make an assessment. “I had a look at it this morning. We’re still two days out, so it’s difficult to predict whether they’ll cut more grass or not that will make a difference. But from what we’ve heard, it tends to be a good batting wicket,”he added.

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