Team India Head Coach Gautam Gambhir is at the centre of the firing squad as his boys knelt down in front of South Africa on 26 November. India recorded its heaviest loss in Test cricket as the hosts suffered a 408-run defeat in the 2nd Test in Guwahati.
India have now lost 5 consecutive Test matches at home, and it’s all in Gambhir’s tenure. Will Gautam Gambhir resign by accepting the responsibility of the humiliating performance? Will BCCI remove him? Gambhir spoke about his future at the post-match press conference.
“It is up to the BCCI to decide my future. But, I am the same guy who got you results in England and was coach for Champions Trophy. The blame lies with everyone and starts with me,” Gambhir said.
“We need to play better. From 95/1 to 122/7 is not acceptable. You don’t blame any individual or any particular shot. Blame lies with everyone. I never blamed individuals and won’t do it going forward,” he added.
“You don’t need the most flamboyant and talented cricketers to play Test cricket. What we need is tough characters with limited skills. They make good Test cricketers,” Gautam Gambhir said.
India’s poor form in Test cricket has worsened under Gautam Gambhir’s leadership. The team now lost 10 of 18 Tests, including two home whitewashes against New Zealand last year and South Africa in the latest series.
The heavy defeat in Guwahati is India’s biggest loss by runs in Test history. Many critics argue that Gambhir’s frequent team changes and preference for all-rounders over specialist players are hurting India in the traditional format.
Ravi Shastri’s reaction
Earlier, former India coach Ravi Shastri heavily criticised Gautam Gambhir’s team selection after India’s batting collapse in the 2nd Test in Guwahati. Shastri said he was confused by India changing the batting order after Shubman Gill’s injury.
“It makes no sense. I can’t figure out the reasoning. When they review this series, some of these selections will leave them puzzled,” Shastri said.
“In Kolkata, you picked four spinners and one of them bowled only a single over, when you could’ve easily picked a specialist batter. And, here, after making Washington bat at three in the last Test, you could’ve slotted him at four today since you already had your number three. He’s not a number eight. He’s much better than that,” Shastri added.
Harsha Bhogle’s reaction
Senior commentator Harsha Bhogle minced no words while slamming Team India after the loss.
“Lots of places up for grabs in this Indian test team. A few players not ready for this level. Question is: how many of the rest are ready?” Bhogle wrote on Twitter (now X) after India’s embarrassing loss.
“There was an aura around the Indian team when playing in India. You can see it disappearing in the distance…..” he added.
