Ganguly Backs Gambhir But Urges Better Pitches, Shami’s Return

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has expressed strong support for current head coach Gautam Gambhir while talking of improved surfaces.

Sourav Ganguly advocated for the immediate recall of veteran pacer Mohammed Shami to the national side, citing the bowler’s impressive domestic performances that have been consistently overlooked by selectors.

The legendary cricketer acknowledged Gambhir’s contributions to Indian cricket but stressed that success under his coaching would require trust in the pace attack and fair playing conditions. Shami, despite taking 15 wickets in his first three Ranji Trophy matches and maintaining form with 2/62 for Bengal against Assam, hasn’t featured in Test cricket since the World Test Championship final two years ago.

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Call for Balanced Playing Conditions

Speaking to Sports Tak, Ganguly outlined his vision for India’s Test strategy. “I am very fond of Gautam; he has done well in the 2011 and T20 World Cups. He will continue for a while, but he must play on good pitches in India. He must have faith in Bumrah, Siraj, and Shami,” Ganguly said while emphasizing the importance of quality fast bowling resources.

The former BCCI president specifically highlighted Shami’s credentials for a national recall. “I think Shami deserves a place in this Test team. Shami and the spinners will win Tests for him,” Ganguly added, pointing to the experienced pacer’s proven match-winning abilities.

Learning from England Success

Expanding on his philosophy to NDTV, Ganguly referenced India’s recent 2-2 draw in England as the blueprint for success. He argued that minimizing pitch variables and enabling batsmen to score big totals should be India’s primary focus moving forward.

“Play on good wickets. I hope Gautam Gambhir is listening. He needs to take the wicket out of the game. Because if his batters aren’t putting up 350–400, he will not win Tests,” Ganguly stated, emphasizing the correlation between substantial first-innings totals and victory.

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The former skipper concluded with a clear directive for the coaching staff: “That is the reason they won in England, because their batters put runs up on the board. He must play on good wickets. And trust his people. And win Tests in 5 days. Not in 3 days.”