Top reasons for team India's sudden downfall under head coach Gautam Gambhir: A Look at the infamous records set during Gambhir tenure.
When Rahul Dravid signed off his coaching career on a high by winning the 2024 World T20, expectations were high for the next coach to carry forward India's cricketing legacy across all formats. However, the narrative has taken a dramatic and unforeseen turn—one that even the most optimistic Indian cricket fans would have dreaded in their worst nightmares.
In just six months under Gautam Gambhir's tenure as coach, India have plunged into one of the darkest phases of their cricketing history. Their Test cricket is in disarray, and their ODI performance has been far from inspiring. However, there is a silver lining—the team ended the year on a high note in T20Is, losing just twice in 26 matches and securing the World T20 title.
Under Gautam Gambhir’s tenure, India have struggled to maintain their unbeaten home record in Tests, suffering a whitewash in a home series and, for the first time, failing to secure a spot in the World Test Championship final. The list of setbacks is long.
Here’s a look at all the infamous records India have created so far under Gambhir’s leadership.
After 27 years, India lost a bilateral ODI Series vs Sri Lanka.
After 36 years, India lost a Test against New Zealand at home.
For the first time, India scored less than 50 runs at home
For the first time, India lost Test series against New Zealand at home
After 12 years, India lost a home Test series
After 12 years, India lost two straight home Tests
For the first time, India got whitewashed (0-3) in a home Test series
After 13 years, India lost a Test match at Melbourne
After 10 years, India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
After 13 years, India lost 3 matches against Australia in a Test series
India failed to qualify for WTC final for the first time
Read More: AUS vs IND, 5th Test, Day 3: Australia regain BGT after 10 years, overcome India by margin of 3-1
Reasons behind Team India’s sudden downfall under Gautam Gambhir
Struggles under Gambhir's mentorship
More than a coach, Gautam Gambhir played the role of a mentor in the Indian setup, supported by dedicated batting and bowling coaches. However, his mentorship and leadership failed to inspire the Indian players to perform beyond their potential and deliver the desired results. Earlier, Gambhir had successfully mentored the Kolkata Knight Riders to an IPL title in 2024, but he could not replicate the same success with the Men in Blue.
Before the Test series against New Zealand at home, Gambhir made bold statements about the team’s batting approach, emphasizing their ability to bat out two days for a draw or score 400 runs or more in a day to secure a win. Unfortunately, Team India failed to live up to these lofty claims, and the batting unit sank to its lowest point during this phase. Gambhir and the coaching staff must shoulder their share of responsibility for India’s failures. Under Gambhir's tenure, India arguably endured one of the darkest phases in their cricketing history.
Commentator Sunil Gavaskar also questioned the coaching staff, saying, “In these programmes, we keep asking whether this player should play in the future, that player should play in the future... I am saying we should also ask whether the coaching staff should continue.”
Lack of fighting spirit and character
India's Test team had raised some hopes of reaching a higher level when they batted aggressively in the rain-truncated Kanpur Test against Bangladesh, setting up an unlikely win. However, their batting frailties were exposed in the Bengaluru Test, where New Zealand pacers bowled them out for just 46 on the first morning. Captain Rohit Sharma’s decision to bat first backfired as the pitch retained moisture after a few days of rain.
Despite the challenging conditions, India’s batters failed to show the gumption or character to fight it out, losing wickets while attempting to hit their way out of trouble. Rohit himself was guilty of stepping out and edging behind when the ball was moving around. None of the Indian batters displayed the patience, temperament, or technique required to stay at the crease and counter the early demons in the pitch before it settled down. Although India showed a better batting performance in the second innings, they were left playing catch-up and eventually lost the match.
In both the second and third Tests, India’s batting unit failed to counter the spin-friendly wickets they had specifically requested to turn the series around. The team fell into their own trap as New Zealand’s spinners ran riot, leading to a 0-3 series whitewash. This marked the most horrific result in India’s history at home.
India’s defeat exposed several non-performing assets, including ageing seniors losing their edge in the twilight of their careers, and a batting lineup in transition. However, the team persisted with the same set of players for the Australia series, and the outcome remained no different.
Perth win, just footnote
Jasprit Bumrah led India to an inspired win in Perth, raising hopes for a competitive series. However, India's batting became a major letdown as they consistently struggled to post 200 or more in the first innings and crumbled in the second innings.
The Melbourne Test loss could have been avoided if Rishabh Pant had shown more patience instead of attempting an extravagant shot against a part-timer. His dismissal triggered a collapse, turning what could have been a drawn match into a defeat. India ultimately lost the series 3-1.
Lack of role clarity
The lack of role clarity added to India’s struggles. Regular opener Rohit Sharma batted in the middle order after KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 200-run stand in Perth. He returned to opening in Melbourne, replacing the regular No. 3, Shubman Gill, only to step down again at Sydney.
These top-order woes compounded India’s problems, consistently putting immense pressure on the middle and lower order to bail them out. The constant shuffling of the batting order created more issues than it solved, leaving the team in disarray.
Flop experimentation
Nitish Kumar Reddy emerged as a standout performer in the Australia series, cracking his maiden Test century. The all-rounder showed promise as a Test batter, though his bowling still requires significant improvement. In contrast, the experiment to fast-track Harshit Rana into Test cricket backfired. Lacking sufficient First-Class experience, Rana impressed initially with a five-wicket haul in Perth but struggled in the second Test, where Australian batters dominated him. He took no further part in the series, and the experience did little to boost his confidence.
India’s strategy of packing the XI with all-rounders to compensate for the underperforming batting unit also proved counterproductive. This approach placed undue pressure on Jasprit Bumrah, who lacked adequate support from other regular pacers. The workload eventually took its toll, and Bumrah broke down during the Sydney Test, where the conditions were ideal for pacers.
Dressing room rumours
After the avoidable loss in Melbourne, rumours began circulating about friction in the dressing room, with reports suggesting that Gambhir had a stern word with the players. There was speculation that Rohit might retire immediately, with Bumrah stepping in as his replacement. Eventually, Rohit "stepped down," but the secrecy surrounding his exclusion only added to the confusion. The heavy workload on Bumrah also took its toll, and he broke down in Sydney, when his presence could have helped India put the Aussies on the backfoot while defending a low target.
R Ashwin’s mid-series retirement added to the turmoil, fueling speculation that the veteran bowler was not treated well in the latter stages of his career. Although the dressing-room discussions didn’t make it to the media, it was evident that not everything was right. Gambhir’s press conference before the Sydney Test and his reluctance to provide a clear stance on Rohit’s situation did little to clarify matters. His talk of honesty, when he failed to come clean in the press conference, only seemed to be empty words.
The way forward for Gautam Gambhir
It is clear that India has taken several steps backward during Gambhir’s era, with the team suffering embarrassing losses both at home and abroad. It would be fair for the coaching staff to take responsibility for these defeats and step down. Alternatively, the BCCI could look for an experienced coach who has previously managed national teams to take over the role full-time across all formats. If not, India could consider a split coaching approach, where Gambhir focuses on coaching the team in shorter formats, where he is more suited, while an experienced coach takes charge of the Test team, which is currently in transition.
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