Following India's recent Test series loss to South Africa, voices from the cricketing world are calling for a shift in focus from solely blaming the coach, Gautam Gambhir, to examining the players' accountability. The series defeat, a 2-0 whitewash, has led to intense scrutiny of the team's performance, with critics questioning Gambhir's strategies. However, Sunil Gavaskar, a former India captain, has strongly defended Gambhir, emphasizing that the coach's role is to prepare the team, but the players must ultimately deliver on the field.
Gavaskar argued that singling out Gambhir for criticism is unfair, especially considering the team's victories in the Champions Trophy and Asia Cup under his guidance. He questioned why Gambhir wasn't given credit for those wins and why blame is now being directed at him when the team is underperforming. Gavaskar also pointed out that many countries, like England with Brendon McCullum, have a single coach across all formats, suggesting that focusing solely on Gambhir's coaching is misguided.
Echoing Gavaskar's sentiments, R. Ashwin, another former Indian cricketer, cautioned against the urge to "find someone to blame" after significant losses. He stressed that players need to take responsibility for their performances and that individual attacks on the coach are unwarranted. Ashwin highlighted the complexities of managing a team and pointed out that a coach cannot physically go out and play.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has stated that they are not looking to replace Gautam Gambhir as the head coach at the moment. According to sources, the BCCI continues to trust Gambhir and will provide him with complete support as he rebuilds the side. Gambhir's contract runs until the 2027 World Cup, indicating the board's long-term commitment to his leadership. A meeting between team management and selectors is expected at the end of the South Africa tour to discuss how to improve the Test team's performance during the transition.
Despite Gambhir's recent successes in white-ball cricket, including winning the Champions Trophy and Asia Cup, the Test team's performance has been declining. India has suffered five losses in seven matches at home, including a 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand and a 2-0 sweep against South Africa. This poor performance has led to debates about whether Gambhir is the right person for the job, especially in Test cricket.
Gavaskar has called for a comprehensive review of India's Test cricket setup, urging the inclusion of outside perspectives from former coaches and players like Ravi Shastri, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly, and Sachin Tendulkar. He believes that a thorough post-mortem is necessary to identify areas that need strengthening and to formulate a plan for the next five years.
The recent losses have exposed weaknesses in both batting and bowling. In the last five Tests, only Nitish Kumar Reddy averaged over 40, and the team managed only three centuries in ten innings. Key players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have struggled, putting pressure on other batsmen. The bowling attack has also been inconsistent, with key bowlers failing to perform to their potential.
While Gambhir's coaching strategies, including changes to the batting order, have faced criticism, Gavaskar and others argue that the players must take responsibility for their performance on the field. The spotlight is now on the players to step up and deliver, as the team looks to rebuild and regain its dominance in Test cricket.
