After succumbing to their fifth loss in seven matches and, in the process, enduring two whitewashes in familiar conditions, India head coach Gautam Gambhir is certainly under intense scrutiny following the recent 0-2 series defeat to South Africa. Acknowledging that his future rests with the BCCI, Gambhir presented a brave face by listing the successes India achieved under his tenure across formats.
In Guwahati, India’s innings folded for just 140 on Wednesday at the ACA Stadium while chasing an improbable 549, culminating in a crushing 408-run loss, their heaviest defeat by runs in Test cricket, and marking a second consecutive home series defeat after last year’s 3-0 drubbing by New Zealand.
Gambhir’s leadership of the Test side has come under sharp focus amid the team’s poor run in the longest format. Since he took over, India have played six Test series, winning only two, with one ending in a draw. “It is up to BCCI to decide. I said it during my first press conference when I took over as the head coach: Indian cricket is important, I am not important, and I sit here and say exactly the same thing. Yes, people can keep forgetting about it.
“I am the same guy who got results in England as well with a young team, and I am sure you guys will forget very soon because a lot of people keep talking about New Zealand. I am the same guy under whom we won the Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup as well.
“Yes, this is a team that has less experience, and I have said it before as well that they need to keep learning, and they are putting everything possible to turn the tide,” Gambhir said at the post-match press conference.
India have now lost 10 of their 18 Tests under Gambhir, and his tactical decisions, including frequent changes to the XI and favouring all-rounders over specialists, have drawn significant criticism. Yet, Gambhir stressed collective accountability.
“It lies with everyone in the dressing room and starts with me to everyone in the dressing room. I have said it before as well that we win together, we lose together. So I am not going to be someone who is going to say that it lies with X, Y or Z. It lies with everyone sitting in that room, as simple as it can get. That is what team sport is all about.
“Again, the buck should be stopping with everyone, as simple because yes, we need to apply better. At one stage, we were 95/1. I am sure you guys must be watching the game. From 95/1 to 120/7 is not acceptable, and we keep talking about obviously spin, but then one seamer got four wickets in that spell, and we have had these collapses in the past as well.
“Someone needs to put their hand up and say that I am going to stop this, whatever you call it, the collapse. For me, I think that is something that was that 30-minute spell that obviously took us away from the game as well, because at one stage on day three, we were pretty much in control of the game, where we were 95/1. Then, from there, to lose five or six wickets for nothing on the board literally was always pushing us back,” he added.
Gambhir dismissed comparisons between the New Zealand and South Africa series defeats, stressing the gap in experience between the squads.
“First of all, in the series against New Zealand, we had a very different side, and this is a very different one. When you see this batting line-up against that batting line-up, the experience between the two is chalk and cheese.
“So, comparing everything to New Zealand is probably the wrong narrative. I don’t give excuses. I have never done that in the past. I will never do it in the future as well. But if you see 4-5 batters in this top 8 have literally played less than 15 Test matches, and they will grow. They are learning on the job, in the field. Test cricket is never easy when you’re playing against a top-quality side. You’ve got to give them time.
“So, for me, I think that is something they will keep learning. Hopefully, they keep learning, as that is important. Because I know that I hate using this word transition, and this is exactly what transition is. When you have a batting line-up which has literally played less than 15-20 Test matches, they need time to absorb pressure and have to keep getting better against quality attacks and against quality sides,” he concluded.