Guwahati: India head coach Gautam Gambhir, under intense scrutiny following the 2-0 Test series whitewash against South Africa, on Wednesday said that it was for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to decide his future. He, however, reminded critics of the team’s notable achievements during his tenure.
Speaking after India’s crushing 408-run defeat in the second Test in Guwahati — a loss that sealed a humiliating home series sweep — Gambhir reiterated that he had always placed Indian cricket above his own role.
“It is up to the BCCI to decide. I’ve said it in my first press conference when I took over as the head coach. Indian cricket is important, I’m not important,” he said at the post-match press conference.
He added that while people often forget previous successes, his record stood for itself. “I’m the same guy who got results in England with a young team. And I’m sure you guys will forget very soon because a lot of people keep talking about New Zealand (the home series whitewash last year). I’m the same guy who won the Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup as well,” he said.
Gambhir, known for his blunt responses, did not shy away from accepting responsibility for the defeat against an impressively prepared South African side. “The blame lies with everyone and starts with me,” he said. “We need to play better. From 95 for 1 to 122 for 7 is not acceptable. You don’t blame any individual or any particular shot. Blame lies with everyone. I never blamed individuals and won’t do it going forward.”
Under his tenure, India have lost 10 of their 18 Tests, including whitewashes against New Zealand last year and South Africa now at home. Gambhir has faced criticism for frequent team changes and a preference for all-rounders over specialist players in the traditional format.
He emphasised that Test cricket demands toughness over flamboyance. “Red-ball cricket is a completely different challenge to white-ball cricket. There needs to be a different skill set. And more importantly, you need tough characters to be a successful Test side,” he said. “You don’t need the most skillful or flamboyant players. You need the toughest characters with limited skills who can succeed irrespective of conditions.”
Gambhir acknowledged that India are indeed in a transitional phase. Much of the current Test batting group has played fewer than 15 matches on average, and their inexperience has shown on challenging turning tracks.
Responding to questions on India’s struggles against quality spin since the New Zealand series, Gambhir pointed out that the core batting line-up then — which included experienced players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma — was very different.
“The series against New Zealand featured a very different side. This is a very different side. When you look at the experience of that batting line-up compared to this one, it is chalk and cheese. So comparing everything to New Zealand is probably a wrong narrative,” he said, visibly irritated.
He reiterated that while he does not believe in excuses, the relative inexperience of the team must be recognised. “Four or five batters in this top eight have played less than 15 Tests. They will grow. They are learning on the job,” he said.
“Test cricket is never easy against a top-quality side. You’ve got to give them time. They need time to improve against quality attacks. Yes, this team has less experience, and they need to keep learning. They are putting in everything possible to turn the tide.”
Although Gambhir said he “hates” the word “transition,” he admitted this is precisely what the team is undergoing.
With PTI inputs