After India’s home Test series whitewash by South Africa, coach Gautam Gambhir faces heavy criticism. Even in the Supreme Court, a judge and senior lawyer discussed India’s poor red-ball form under Gambhir, who is facing immense scrutiny.
Supreme Court judge, MM Sundaresh, and senior lawyer, Mukul Rohtagi, were discussing Indian Test Cricket under the current head coach, Gautam Gambhir, during a hearing in New Delhi. Gambhir is facing immense scrutiny following a Test series whitewash at the hands of South Africa at home.
After a defeat in the Kolkata Test by 30 runs, India were handed an even heavier blow, losing by a huge margin of 408 runs in the Guwahati Test, resulting in their first red-ball series defeat to South Africa at home in 25 years. Over the last 12 months, Team India lost three Test series (two whitewashed by New Zealand and South Africa at home), won one, and drew another under coach Gambhir, fueling debates about his tactics, team selection, and India’s declining consistency in the longest format.
Following the second consecutive Test series whitewash at home, Gautam Gambhir is facing criticism, as questions grow over his approach, preparation methods, and long-term vision for India’s red-ball cricket.
SC Judge Takes Cheeky Dig at Gambhir’s Tactics
Team India’s decline in Test cricket following the second consecutive series whitewash at home under Gautam Gambhir has reached inside the courtroom of the Supreme Court, where the judge and senior lawyer were having a candid exchange about the team’s red-ball struggles during the hearing.
The judge, MM Sundaresh, took a subtle dig at Gambhir for prioritising T20 players to fill roles in the Test squad, suggesting that such an approach has weakened India’s red-ball depth.
“When you concentrate more on T20 and ODI, you will lose Test matches,” the SC judge could be heard saying in the video.
Meanwhile, SC senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi stated that Gautam Gambhir is his client’s friend, who urged the head coach to step down from his role if India cannot win the Test matches on their own pitches.
“Let me tell you, Lordship, that the head coach (Gautam Gambhir) is a friend and a client of mine. And I called him today morning and said that the whole country is now saying that even on your own pitches if you’re going to lose like this, you better stop,” Rohatgi said.
Gautam Gambhir took over the reins of Team India as head coach, succeeding Rahul Dravid, in July last year. Though Team India has had success in white-ball cricket under Gambhir, including Champion Trophy and Asia Cup triumphs, their performances in red-ball cricket have declined sharply, exposing gaps in preparation, squad balance, and long-format planning.
Will Gautam Gambhir Be Sacked as Head Coach?
After the Test series whitewash against South Africa at home, Gautam Gambhir is currently overseeing the ODI leg of the series, wherein the Men in Blue won the opening game by 17 runs at the JSCA International Cricket Stadium in Ranchi on Sunday, November 30.
India made a comeback after a Test series defeat to the Proteas, which made fans frustrated and question whether Gambhir could steady India’s red-ball journey. However, Gambhir’s future as India’s head coach has been questioned after losing three Test series over the 12 months, prompting calls for a reset in leadership and strategy.
Though Gautam Gambhir left it to the BCCI to take a call on his future as a head coach, the board was reportedly willing to take any action against him, as the T20 World Cup is around the corner and his contract runs till 2027. However, the BCCI will speak to the selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, on the way forward.
Gautam Gambhir’s record as a coach in Tests is not so impressive, winning seven matches, losing 10, and two draws in 19 games over the last 14 months, with a winning percentage of with win percentage of just 36.84%, underlining how badly the team’s Test form has collapsed during his tenure.