It has been a challenging 16 months as India suffered their third Test series defeat under head coach Gautam Gambhir after South Africa secured a 2-0 series victory with a win in Guwahati on Wednesday. During this period, India were defeated 3-0 at home by New Zealand, lost 3-1 in Australia, and have now been beaten by the Proteas. Under Gautam Gambhir, India’s Test record currently stands at 7 wins, 10 losses, and 2 draws in 19 matches, resulting in a win percentage of just 36.82.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), though, has no plans to replace Gautam Gambhir from the position of head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team.
“The BCCI will not rush in taking any decision, the team is in a transition phase. As far as coach Gautam Gambhir is concerned, we will not take any decision on him as the World Cup is around the corner and his contract is till the 2027 World Cup. The BCCI will speak to selectors and team management going ahead but there won’t be any knee jerk action,” a BCCI official was quoted as saying to The Indian Express.
After the loss, Gautam Gambhir clarified that it was up to the BCCI to decide his future.
“It is up to the BCCI to decide. I’ve said it in my first press conference when I took over as the head coach. Indian cricket is important, I’m not important. And I sit here and say exactly the same thing,” Gautam Gambhir was quoted as saying at the post-match press conference.
Critics were up in arms as India stared at another home series whitewash, having already lost 0-3 to New Zealand last year. After going down in the series opener on a difficult pitch in Kolkata, India were outclassed in the first innings in Guwahati as South Africa amassed 489 after opting to bat and then bowled India out for 201.
Gautam Gambhir famously proclaimed that he would not drop players and that any changes would be about picking the right team to win. Yet consider this statistic: since Gautam Gambhir took charge, India have used 24 players in Tests in just one year. By contrast, during Virat Kohli’s seven-year tenure as captain, only 41 players were used in total.
In the first Test, India played Washington Sundar at No. 3, only to push him down to No. 8 in the first innings of the Guwahati Test. Sai Sudharsan, who was dropped for the series opener despite scoring 87 in his previous Test, returned at No. 3.
India struggled with the bat in good batting conditions, managing only 201 runs. Barring Yashasvi Jaiswal (58) and Washington Sundar (48), none of the other batters went past the 25-run mark. Dhruv Jurel, batting at No. 4, was dismissed for 0, while captain Rishabh Pant threw his wicket away for 7.
With India suffering a disappointing 2-0 Test series defeat against South Africa at home, Gautam Gambhir has come under fire as head coach. However, Sandeep Patil, a former chief selector and 1983 World Cup champion, has stepped up to defend Gambhir, emphasizing the complexities of coaching at the national level. Sandeep Patil pointed out that the criticism directed at Gambhir overlooks the broader challenges faced by the team and the coaching staff.
Sandeep Patil defends Gautam Gambhir amidst sack calls post 2-0 Test series whitewash vs SA
Sandeep Patil has joined a group of former cricketers to rally behind men’s head coach Gautam Gambhir amid demands for his sacking from the role in Tests. Patil said that Gambhir can’t be the only one blamed for India’s series whitewash against South Africa, and more questions should be raised on the squad selection.
Gambhir is the first Indian head coach to oversee two home whitewashes in Tests — against New Zealand last year and then against South Africa, with losses in Kolkata and Guwahati. He blamed it on the team’s transition and inexperience, while others have questioned his management’s obsession with all-rounders and spin-friendly wickets.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar has also copped a bit of criticism for ignoring the likes of Karun Nair and Sarfaraz Khan for youngsters like Sai Sudharsan and Nitish Reddy.
“I’ve noticed that the whole of last week that everybody has been passing comments about Gambhir,” Patil told The Times of India.
“However, those who have donned the national cap, taken responsibility as a head coach, haven’t spoken about it. Nobody is talking about the combination of players who have been selected. You played on a bad pitch, you lost. You played on a good pitch, you lost. What can the head coach do? It is wrong to point fingers at only one person,” he added.
Although Ravi Shastri, one of India’s most successful coaches also slammed Gambhir’s selection choices, Patil said that most who are criticising the incumbent do not know what his job entails.
“It’s really surprising to me that those people who have not been an India coach and gone through that process are passing remarks left and right on Gambhir,” he said.
Patil also said that he knows Gambhir for a long time, offering confidence that he’d turn it around with time.
“When Rahul Dravid became an India coach, he had a bad start… However, he finished on a high. Duncan Fletcher had a bad start… Gary had a bad start and Anil Kumble endured a rough period… We must allow the head coach, selectors and the players time to settle down. You cannot jump the gun. It’s very easy to say: ‘Nikalo isko,’ it’s not prudent to sack somebody like that,” he concluded.
The Indian batters struggled throughout the series with totals of 189, 93, 201, and 140 in four innings. There’s a long gap now with India not playing any Test cricket until late next year. Who knows what changes lie ahead in the intervening period. This moment, though, is all about South Africa and the remarkable win they’ve pulled off. Plenty for them to celebrate before the ODIs get under way.
Also Read: IND VS SA: Ravindra Jadeja’s 4-Wicket Haul Sinks South Africa In The Evening Session.