'Let India Have A Bad Game': Tamim Iqbal Eager To See Gautam Gambhir's 'Real Character' Under Pressure

Former Bangladesh cricketer Tamim Iqbal looks keen to see how Gautam Gambhir reacts if Team India fails to match expectations.

India has performed considerably well since Gambhir was appointed as the head coach. Gambhir started off his tenure on a positive note, with his team registering a 3-0 whitewash in a T20I series against Sri Lanka.

India, however, failed to replicate the dominance in the ODI leg of the tour and endured a 2-0 defeat in the three-match assignment. India have bounced back in the ongoing home Test series against Bangladesh. The hosts won the first Test by 280 runs in Chennai.

Ahead of the second game, Tamim Iqbal made a bold claim. “When you’re winning, you don’t know the real character of the man. It’s only when you lose a series, then you lose another, that the real character comes out,” the 35-year-old said on Jio Cinema, as quoted by the Hindustan Times.

Iqbal showed his faith in Gambhir’s coaching ability. “No doubt, he is a capable man, but it’s too early. Let India have a bad game, then we will see what comes out,” Tamim Iqbal added.

Former India batter Parthiv Patel was also part of the discussion. According to him, Gambhir has been able to maintain a positive environment in the Indian camp.

“You can get carried away because India got success under Rahul Dravid and Ravi Shastri. And there’s a chance that you don’t want to change. But at the same time, you must bring your own way. And the stories coming out of the dressing room are that people are relaxed, and there’s an intent of winning Test matches,” Patel explained.

Parthiv Patel reckons every member of the current Indian squad is well aware of Gambhir’s approach. “There’s no extra pressure. We all know that he (Gambhir) is clear with his messaging. There’s no grey area, it’s either black or white,” he said.

Gautam Gambhir will look to guide India to their third consecutive World Test Championship (WTC) final. They currently lead the WTC standings. After the Bangladesh series, Rohit Sharma and Co. are set to play three Tests against New Zealand on home soil. They are slated to tour Australia in November for the high-profile Border Gavaskar Trophy.