Tim Paine has continued his verbal sparring with India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir ahead of the much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Paine, who previously criticized Gambhir for his inability to stay composed under pressure, has now expressed doubts about the former opener’s temperament, labelling it as a potential concern for India in their upcoming five-match series against Australia, which will be starting from Friday (November 22).

Ravi Shastri Better Than Gautam Gambhir?

“One of the things that I thought really helped India in those two away series wins against us was the attitude of their coach Ravi Shastri. Boisterous and seemingly carefree, he emboldened his players not to be daunted despite circumstances conspiring against them and rebound from the adversity of being bowled out for 36 in Adelaide in the first Test of 2020-21. I have serious reservations about new coach Gautam Gambhir and whether his temperament and approach suits this group of Indian players,” Paine wrote in his column for Codesports.

Will India Flourish With Gambhir’s Approach?

Paine has specifically stated that Gambhir’s approach will somehow stir up the Indian team. Paine thinks there might be some questions to whether Gambhir’s fiery nature is apt for the team, questioning that this can become a disturbing element, especially for such a big series.

“Biting back against Ricky Ponting’s comments about Kohli betrayed a man too worried about things outside of his control and suggested that the former Indian opener is feeling the pressure after the home series loss to New Zealand,” Paine added.

The latest round of tension between Paine and Gambhir began after a war of words between Gambhir and Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting. The exchange was triggered by Ponting’s comments about Virat Kohli’s form ahead of the series. When Gambhir was asked about his thoughts on Kohli’s recent struggles, he responded sharply during a pre-departure press conference, which didn’t sit well with the Australian cricket community. Ponting called Gambhir as “prickly” and Paine echoed the same sentiment.