The Indian cricket team is currently navigating a challenging phase in Test cricket, with much of the blame being directed at the strategies implemented by head coach Gautam Gambhir. As the Guwahati Test progresses, India finds itself on the brink of defeat, and if South Africa secures a victory, the team will suffer a 2-0 clean sweep on home soil. This would mark the second instance within 13 months under Gambhir's coaching that India has been clean-swept in home conditions, following a 3-0 defeat to New Zealand in 2024, while this string of poor performances has led to intense scrutiny of Gambhir's coaching methods, with several former cricketers advocating for a change in the Test format's coaching leadership.
Under Gautam Gambhir's tenure as coach, the Indian Test team has made several strategic. Errors that are widely considered to be the primary reasons for its dismal performance. These mistakes include a significant lack of specialist batsmen in the playing XI, excessive experimentation with the batting order, a noticeable absence of wicket-taking spinners, and an over-reliance on all-rounders who have failed to deliver as expected. These issues have severely impacted the team's stability and overall performance, particularly in the demanding and. Extended format of Test cricket, where patience, specialized skills, and consistent roles are paramount for success.
Over-Reliance on Just 3 Specialist Batters
Under Gautam Gambhir's coaching, the Indian team has increasingly emphasized all-rounders not only in white-ball cricket but also in the red-ball format. This strategic shift has had a direct consequence: only 3 or 4 specialist batsmen are consistently given opportunities in the playing XI. In the ongoing series against South Africa, India fielded just three specialist batters in both Test matches, while yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul featured in both Tests, while Shubman Gill was included in the first and Sai Sudharsan in the second. This approach becomes particularly concerning when the middle-order batsmen fail to perform their roles effectively, while in the first match, India's three specialist batters struggled on a spin-friendly pitch, but in the first innings of the second match, they collectively scored 95 runs. In stark contrast, batsmen from numbers 4 to 7 managed a mere 23 runs combined, which proved to be a significant setback for the team. Players like Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel lost their wickets attempting risky shots, which are often unnecessary in the Test format, while this pattern clearly indicates that the team is grappling with a shortage of specialist batsmen and an unstable middle order, undermining its ability to build substantial innings.
Excessive Experimentation in the Batting Order
Under Gambhir's coaching, the crucial number 3 batting position for the Indian Test team has remained unfixed, a significant concern in a format that demands stability. Looking at the South Africa Test series alone, Washington Sundar batted at number 3 in the first match, and Sai Sudharsan took that spot in the second, while karun Nair was also given an opportunity at this position, but no player has been allowed to settle into this role for an extended period. Before Gambhir became coach, India didn't have to worry about this position for 25 years, as Rahul Dravid initially, and then Cheteshwar Pujara, admirably held this spot, preventing the team from collapsing in various challenging situations. Similarly, the number 5 position has also become a source of concern, with Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, and Ravindra Jadeja being tried out. This position was historically anchored by stalwarts like VVS Laxman and Ajinkya Rahane, but now, excessive experimentation is occurring here as well. This constant shuffling prevents the team from achieving stability and leaves players uncertain about their specific roles, ultimately hindering consistent performance.
Dearth of a Strike Finger Spinner
The Indian team is increasingly facing a shortage of wicket-taking finger spinners, a. Factor that was once a major contributor to India's dominance in Asian conditions. From 2013 to 2023, the spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja was instrumental in securing numerous victories for India. However, after India's clean sweep loss at home to New Zealand last year, Ravichandran Ashwin, India's second-highest wicket-taker, announced his retirement. During the Australia tour, off-spin all-rounder Washington Sundar was prioritized. Over Ashwin, leading to Ashwin's decision not to continue playing. Ashwin was a genuine strike bowler for the team, and his departure has left Jadeja isolated. The new captain also appears unable to work with Jadeja's bowling. As effectively as MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli once did. The team management is now focusing on spin all-rounders like Sundar and Axar Patel, but they seemingly lack Ashwin's potent wicket-taking ability, while while domestic cricket boasts promising strike finger spinners such as Sai Kishore, Saransh Jain, and Saurabh Kumar, they aren't being given opportunities at the international level, leaving the team without a crucial weapon in its bowling arsenal.
All-rounders Proving Ineffective
There has been an excessive reliance on the all-round skills of players like Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, and Nitish Reddy. In most matches, at least three of these four players are part of the playing XI. While their individual capabilities are good, they aren't translating into effective contributions for the Indian Test team. Sundar and Axar have shown some impact with the bat, but they're failing to perform the role of a specialist off-spinner in the Test team, meaning they aren't consistently taking wickets. Jadeja, while occasionally picking up wickets, has seen his batting falter in Asian conditions, which diminishes his overall all-rounder value, while nitish Reddy's inclusion in the playing XI in Indian conditions appears to be particularly questionable, as he has neither scored runs with the bat nor made a significant impact with his bowling. He's also not being given ample bowling opportunities, while the team could potentially benefit more by including a specialist batsman in his place, which would strengthen the batting order and provide better overall team balance.
Threat of Second Home Series Loss in 13 Months
Gautam Gambhir was appointed as India's head coach in July 2024. Under his coaching, India began with a positive note, defeating Bangladesh 2-0 in a Test series. However, the team's performance has since declined Importantly. New Zealand, who had not won a Test in India for 36 years, not only secured a victory under Gambhir's coaching but also clean-swept the series 3-0. This marked India's first home series loss in 12 years, a major setback for the team. Within 13 months of the defeat against New Zealand, India was beaten by South Africa in the Kolkata Test. South Africa's last victory in India was 15 years ago, while Also, South Africa now has an opportunity to win a Test series in India after 25 years, which further raises questions about Gambhir's coaching effectiveness. This trend indicates that the team is losing its stronghold even in home conditions, where it was once considered invincible.
4 Home Test Losses in 12 Years, Now So Many Under Gambhir in Short Span
Gautam Gambhir has overseen 4 home Test losses in his 18-month coaching career. If South Africa wins in Guwahati, it will be the 5th loss under his guidance. This statistic is alarming, especially considering that it took India 12 years to lose 4 home Tests previously. In 2012, under Duncan Fletcher's coaching, India suffered a 2-1 series defeat against England. Subsequently, Australia defeated India once under Anil Kumble's coaching, and England did the same once under Ravi Shastri's coaching. Rahul Dravid's coaching tenure saw two home losses, while this means that over 12 years, despite having three different coaches, the team lost only 4 Tests, winning 40 matches during that period. In stark contrast, under Gambhir's coaching, New Zealand and South Africa have inflicted 4 Test defeats within just 13 months. What is even more concerning is that the team has not yet faced strong. Opponents like Australia and England at home, suggesting that future challenges could be even greater.
Gambhir's Inability to Secure Wins in Australia
Under Gautam Gambhir's coaching, India has played 19 Test matches so far. Of these, 5 were in Australia, 5 in England, and the rest at home, while at home, the team defeated Bangladesh and West Indies in 4 matches but lost the other 4. India's performance in Australia was also not particularly impressive. They won the first Test in Perth under Jasprit Bumrah's captaincy, but after captain Rohit Sharma's return, they lost the series 3-1, while it was during this series that Ravichandran Ashwin retired, and after the series in May, captain Rohit Sharma and veteran Virat Kohli also bid farewell to Test cricket. In England, under the leadership of young captain Shubman Gill, India managed to draw the 5-Test series 2-2, but now, the team faces the prospect of a series loss against South Africa, which raises further questions about Gambhir's overall performance as a Test coach.
Champions Trophy and T20 Asia Cup Victories
While Gautam Gambhir has proven to be a less effective coach in Test cricket, his performance in the T20 format has been outstanding, while in One-Day Internationals (ODIs), his record has been mixed. In the T20 format, since July 1, 2024, India has played 32 matches, winning 26, losing only 4, with 2 ending in no result. The team clinched the Asia Cup and also defeated Pakistan three consecutive times in the tournament, highlighting his success in T20 coaching. In ODIs, under Gambhir's coaching, India defeated England in a series and also won the Champions Trophy, showcasing his capabilities in limited-overs coaching, while however, the team failed to win series in Sri Lanka and Australia, which indicates some inconsistency in his ODI performance. It's clear that Gambhir's expertise lies more in white-ball cricket, while he faces significant challenges in the red-ball format.
Experts Call for Gambhir's Removal as Test Coach
Following the Indian team's consistently poor performance in Test cricket, several former cricketers and experts have called for Gautam Gambhir's removal from the position of Test coach. In their opinion, the team requires a new direction and approach in this particular format.
Former Indian cricketer Atul Wassan sharply criticized Gambhir's coaching, stating that Indian batsmen have forgotten how to play spin. He remarked that the habit of playing big shots has made them forget how to play Test cricket, while wassan expressed concern that even teams like New Zealand and South Africa are now defeating India at home. He also pointed out that batting coaches change every series, and specialist Test batsmen like Sarfaraz Khan and Hanuma Vihari aren't getting opportunities. Wassan argued that white-ball players are being fielded in Tests, which is inappropriate. He emphasized that while there is no issue with playing all-rounders, the top 5 in Tests should be specialist batsmen. He noted that the team got out quickly on spin pitches,. And now on good pitches, they're losing wickets to pacers. This, he asserted, proves that Test cricket isn't being taken seriously. To rectify this, Wassan believes a change in the Test coach is imperative. He suggested bringing back Rahul Dravid and including players like Cheteshwar Pujara in the playing XI.
Former Indian selector Saba Karim also questioned Gambhir's coaching, stating that India's Test batsmen aren't focusing on building partnerships, while he expressed surprise at why batsmen are concentrating on big shots in Tests when the format demands batting for an entire day. Karim cited South Africa's performance as an example, noting that they executed this perfectly, while the Indian team's mindset remains unclear. The opinions of these experts underscore the growing pressure on Gambhir's Test. Coaching performance and indicate a strong sentiment for change within the cricketing fraternity.
