"We will find out whether it’s lip service" - Indian legend’s blunt remark on Gautam Gambhir urging players to feature in domestic cricket

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has claimed that he will keep a close eye on whether Indian players follow head coach Gautam Gambhir's advice to play domestic cricket. He also said some players seem to have taken their place in the national team for granted.

India went down to Australia by six wickets in the Sydney Test on Sunday, January 5, to concede the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1. Speaking at a press conference following the conclusion of the series, head coach Gambhir urged the players to feature in domestic cricket.

In an interaction on India Today, Gavaskar reacted to Gambhir's comments and said that he would be keen to see how many players follow the advice given by the head coach. He said:

“Well, we will find out whether it’s lip service. There is some domestic cricket happening in the next 15 days. We will find out whether what the coach wants actually happens and what the players do. There are some players who have taken their places for granted, thinking they cannot be dropped, no matter what. Let us see if they obey the coach’s call and play. Let’s wait and see."

The second phase of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy will begin on January 23. There will be two rounds of group-stage matches before the knockouts. However, Team India’s limited-overs series against England also starts on January 22.

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How Team India's batters fared during BGT 2024-25

Most of the Indian batters struggled during the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under. Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was the visitors' leading run-getter in the series and the second-leading overall. The southpaw scored 391 runs in 10 innings at an average of 43.44, with one hundred and two fifties.

Young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was a surprise success story. He contributed 298 runs in nine innings, averaging 37.25, which included a maiden Test ton in Melbourne. KL Rahul began the series on an impressive note but scored 276 runs at an average of 30.66, with two fifties.

Keeper-batter Rishabh Pant got several starts but managed only one half-century and ended the series with an average of 28.33. Virat Kohli scored 190 runs in nine innings at an average of 23.75. Of his runs, 100 came in one innings in Perth. Skipper Rohit Sharma had a disastrous tour, with 31 runs in five innings at a paltry average of 6.20, with a best of 10.