IND vs ENG - Monty Panesar Backs Gautam Gambhir Following Defeat At Headingley Test: 'He Should Be Given Some Time'

England vs India: Team India conceded a five-wicket defeat against England in the first Test match of the five-game series, at Headingley in Leeds, on Tuesday, June 24th.

English opener Ben Duckett was named the 'Player of the Match' following his stupendous 149-run knock during the run chase. On the other hand, Team India failed to clinch a win even after having five centurions in the playing eleven.

Following the defeat, Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir faced a lot of backlash from the fans. The netizens blamed Gambhir for the defeat, asking him to step down from his role.

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Monty Panesar Backs Gautam Gambhir Following Headingley Test

However, former England cricketer Monty Panesar had a different take on Gambhir. While speaking to InsideSport, Panesar said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should give at least '12-18 months' to Gambhir for developing a young squad.

The former cricketer also asked the fans to lower their expectations since one cannot expect India to win a Test series without experienced players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

“Gautam Gambhir should be given at least 12-18 months to develop this young Test squad. Gambhir is without the likes of Kohli and Sharma. You can not expect him to win the Test series against England without experienced players,” Monty Panesar told InsideSport.

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Team India In Transition Mode After Rohit, Kohli's Retirement

The ongoing five-match series against England marks the start of India's voyage in the 2025-2027 cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC).

Earlier in May, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin announced their Test retirement. Following this, the BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar named a young squad for the five-match series.

Shubman Gill was also announced as the new Test skipper after Rohit Sharma hung up boots from the red-ball cricket.

Team India will lock horns against England in the second match of the series, at Edgbaston in Birmingham, from Wednesday, July 2nd.