The former opening batter of the Indian side, Aakash Chopra, wants to know the real address of the ‘Mr. Fix-it of Indian cricket, who has reportedly expressed his wish to become the interim coach of the side despite the debacle in the five-match Test series of the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25.
Aakash Chopra didn’t reveal the name of the individual but felt that the player he has opined could be given the role. India came into the fifth game of the series with 1-2 down, having earned the victory in the opening red-ball clash of the series at the Optus Stadium in Perth for 295 runs.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, the former batter reflected on the reports that came out of the dressing room on the very first day of the year, where the reports came out of the Indian dressing room, which responded with a senior player wanting to become the interim captain.
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“Who is this ‘Mr. Fix-it? Something like this is also happening when a senior player is saying he can become the captain as the team situation is not good, they are undergoing a transition, and he is going to play for the next few years. This thing also came out in public. Then you again start asking the questions that what is happening.” Aakash Chopra expressed this during a video on his YouTube channel.
Aakash Chopra sheds light on Gautam Gambhir’s desire to bring Cheteshwar Pujara in BGT 2024-25
The veterans of the Indian side haven’t fired with the bat. Virat Kohli, apart from that unbeaten century in the second innings of the Perth Test hasn’t been able to get anything more. The regular captain of the side, Rohit Sharma, struggled for his 31 runs in five innings in the series at 6.20 before ‘opting to rest’ for the fifth SCG clash.
“Please let the series get over. Think whatever you want after the series. I am very, very disappointed. Over some time, we will get to know who is this ‘Mr. Fix-it’. Everyone has started making their guesses. I also have a guess, which I won’t tell now, but my guess might be right. The Indian team might go in that direction.” Aakash Chopra noted during the video.
During the last time, Virat Kohli’s captaincy saw India lose the first pink-ball day-night encounter in Adelaide before the stand-in captain, Ajinkya Rahane won the last two of the three games to claim the series by 2-1. That was the same case when Jasprit Bumrah led the side in the first game, with Rohit not being available due to the birth of his second child.
Aakash Chopra also wondered why Cheteshwar Pujara wasn’t given a chance in the side, despite the head coach reportedly asking for the veteran batter’s inclusion in the BGT 2024-25 squad.
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“Another thing was that Gautam Gambhir wanted to select Cheteshwar Pujara. What does Cheteshwar Pujara bring to this game? He brings solidity and stability. He gave exceptional performances if you see the last two (away) BGTs. It was a Player of the Series performance in 2018-19, and in the last one, he stood in the middle despite getting hit all over his body.” The Uttar Pradesh-born highlighted.
“So he (Gambhir) was thinking about a player like him. There, if the coach wanted that and the selectors were refusing and the captain didn’t wish that, ideally, everybody should work in one direction.” Aakash Chopra concluded.
India is chasing a victory in the fifth SCG Test to retain the Border Gavaskar Trophy and keep themselves alive in the qualification race of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25.