"Don't think as if I'm feeling the heat...": Gautam Gambhir amid criticism over India's poor show

New Delhi [India], November 11 (ANI): In the wake of the Indian cricket team's recent series loss against New Zealand, head coach Gautam Gambhir has faced considerable criticism on social media. However, the former India opener remains undeterred by the online backlash, and emphasised that the prestigious nature of his role demands him to be absolutely honest.
Addressing the issue, Gambhir stated, "What difference does social media make in my life, and for anyone's life? When I took up this job, I always knew that it was going to be a highly difficult job and a highly prestigious job as well. I don't think as if I'm feeling the heat because my job is to be absolutely honest."
Gambhir also highlighted the resilience and dedication of the players in the Indian dressing room.
"There are some incredibly tough people in that dressing room who have achieved some great things for the country and will continue to achieve some great things for the country. So it's an absolute honour to be coaching them and coaching India," he remarked at the press conference on Monday.
Despite the recent setbacks, Gambhir's focus remains on guiding the team through these challenges and continuing to strive for success on the international stage.
Following India's shambolic fall against New Zealand on home turf, the road to the WTC final has become a tricky affair.
With a 3-0 series whitewash, India need to win the series by 4-0 to punch their ticket to feature in London for the WTC final for the third successive time.
After the conclusion series opener in Perth, the second Test, featuring the day-night format, will take place under lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10. Fans will then turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test from December 14 to 18.
The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne's iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the series' penultimate stage.
The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to a highly anticipated series.
India's squad for Border-Gavaskar Series: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
Australia squad for the first Test: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc. (ANI)