Gambhir's Test Coaching Under Fire as India's Red-Ball Struggles Deepen

Gautam Gambhir, the former India opener and current head coach, finds himself facing increasing pressure. This follows a concerning run for Team India in Test cricket, despite their ongoing success in limited-overs formats, including a recent Champions Trophy victory.

India coach Gautam Gambhir (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

The latest setback occurred at Headingley, where India, now led by captain Shubman Gill, suffered a five-wicket defeat against England. This loss compounds previous series defeats against New Zealand and Australia. Under Gambhir's guidance, India has managed only one win in their last nine Test matches. This period includes a 3-0 whitewash in New Zealand and a 3-1 loss to Australia, resulting in India relinquishing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

This difficult phase coincides with a transition period, marked by the retirements of veteran players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from Test cricket after the series loss to Australia. While the team, under Gill's fresh leadership, is still in the process of settling, their start in England has been undeniably disappointing.

Former India batter Aakash Chopra shared his analysis of the situation on his YouTube channel, advocating for patience with Gill but also highlighting the growing pressure on Gambhir. He stated, "There is a lot of pressure on Gautam Gambhir. The pressure is absolutely mounting. He has won two matches against Bangladesh and one against Australia, but we lost three to New Zealand, three to Australia and now one to England. He has been losing and losing.”

Chopra emphasized that there are now "no excuses left". He added, "The selectors have given everything the coaching staff has asked for. So, if this is the case, then you also need to deliver the results. Period.”

With the England series finely balanced, Gambhir’s leadership in the red-ball format is now under intense scrutiny.