Gautam Gambhir has no mood to resign as India’s head coach, irrespective of the fact that the Test team under him in the last year on home soil has suffered five losses in seven matches. If the 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand last October wasn’t stinging enough, a 2-0 sweep against South Africa now has only escalated the tension and led to a much-talked-about debate: Should Gambhir step down as India’s head coach, especially in Tests?
Well, if the two-time World Cup winner is to be believed, he is not going anywhere. The BCCI appointed Gambhir as India’s coach after Rahul Dravid‘s tenure came to an end with India winning the T20 World Cup on June 29. However, while India have done reasonably well in white-ball cricket, winning the Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup this year, their performances in Tests seem to be hitting a new low with each passing series. Losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, winning only against teams like West Indies and Bangladesh and the best of the lot, drawing a Test series in England.
When it was time for a reporter to ask the million-dollar question, “Do you think you are the right man for the job,” Gambhir did take part of the blame but was quick to remind all that he’s accomplished since taking over.
“It is up to the BCCI to decide. I said it in my first press conference when I took over as the head coach that Indian cricket is important; I am not. And I sit here sticking by the same thing. And yes, people can keep forgetting that I am the same guy who got results in England as well with a young team. And I am sure you guys will forget pretty soon. A lot of people keep talking about New Zealand, but I am the same guy under whom, India won the Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup as well. This is a team which has less experience. I have said this before as well, that they need to keep learning and do everything possible to turn the tide,” Gambhir declared during the post-match press conference.
India suffered a 408-run defeat in Guwahati – their worst-ever Test defeat in terms of runs – and lost the series convincingly to South Africa. Gambhir has been grilled by social media and now even some former Indian cricketers, and it continued as the Indian reporters in Guwahati threw quite a few curveballs at the India coach. Gambhir was constantly reminded of India’s 0-3 loss to the Kiwis last year, and how clean sweeps against two quality Test teams has tested India like never before. A lot has changed between these two series. Three stalwarts of Indian cricket – Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli – retired from Tests. But is it enough to mask what just transpired? Gambhir set the record straight.
Gambhir takes the blame but reminds the difference between NZ and SA losses
“It [blame] lies with everyone in that dressing room, and it starts with me. I have said it before as well. We win together and lose together. So I’m not going to say that it lies with XYZ, it lies with everyone in that room. As simple as it can get. That is what team sport is all about,” added Gambhir.
“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 will not give excuses – never done that in the past, won’t do it in the future – 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, on the field. Test cricket is never easy when you’re playing against a top-quality side. You’ve got to give them time.”
