'When your coach is backing you so strongly, it builds inner belief -- and that showed on the field.'
India walked into Edgbaston under pressure. They walked out having rewritten history.
Trailing 0-1 after a bruising defeat at Headingley, the heat was squarely on Coach Gautam Gambhir. With just three wins from his first 11 Tests -- including a rare home loss to New Zealand and a heavy series defeat in Australia -- murmurs had begun to grow louder about whether his red-ball vision was unraveling.
But at Birmingham, India flipped the script -- and how.
The 336-run demolition of England not only levelled the series but also delivered a timely statement of belief in Gambhir's leadership and India's direction under Shubman Gill.
'Keep calm and trust GG' trended on social media -- and for good reason.
Without Jasprit Bumrah, many expected India's bowling firepower to be diminished. But Akash Deep, a year into his international career, stepped up in style.
On a surface offering little, the Sasaram, Bihar-born, Bengal pacer produced a spellbinding performance, combining pace, seam, and relentless accuracy to unsettle England's top order. His dismissal of Ben Duckett and a peach to remove Joe Root on Day 4 was the stuff of dreams -- and redemption.
Behind that breakout performance was a quiet but crucial figure: Gambhir. Akash revealed how the coach's belief and words had instilled him with confidence throughout the tour.
'The kind of confidence a player needs -- he has given me that ever since I joined the team,' Akash said. 'When your coach is backing you so strongly, it builds inner belief -- and that showed on the field.'
Akash added that Gambhir often reminded him of the talent he was yet to fully realise.
'He tells me, "You might not even know the kind of skill you possess." That kind of motivation is very important. Sometimes, we can't even read ourselves properly, but someone like him sees -- and says it. That boosts your confidence naturally.'
Gambhir's call to back a young, relatively untested pace attack had drawn criticism before the match. But Akash's 10-wicket haul, Siraj's fire, and Gill's authoritative leadership vindicated the team's choices -- at least for now.
This victory doesn't erase the early scars of the Gambhir era. But it provides a much-needed lifeline, a rallying moment that could yet shape the narrative of his coaching tenure.
The road ahead is still long and lined with tough challenges, but the mood has shifted. The team now has belief, momentum — and for Gambhir, a breather.
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