New Delhi: India endured just their third Test series whitewash at home after South Africa completed a comprehensive win on the fifth day of the Guwahati Test. Of the three home series sweeps, two have come under the reign of head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Speaking after the loss, which was also India’s heaviest defeat in Tests (by the margin of runs), Gambhir weighed into the decisions made by the team management going into the series.
“There’s no hindsight in sports. Whatever decisions we took, we took in the best interest of the team, and we absolutely believed that those were in the best interest of the team,” Gambhir said.
Gambhir stated that the responsibility for the result remained within the dressing room.
When asked if he was the right person to be coaching the Test side, Gambhir stated that the ultimate decision lay with the board.
“It is upon BCCI to decide. I said it in my first press conference when I took over as head coach. Indian cricket is important, I’m not important.
He added, “And people keep forgetting about it, I’m the same guy who got results for the team in England. With a very young team. And I’m the same guy who won Champions Trophy and Asia Cup as well.”
The India head coach believes that the recent series loss to South Africa is different in nature to India’s 3-0 loss at the hands of New Zealand last year, when the team featured senior members such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin.
The trio have retired since and Gambhir added that the new grouping needs more experience under quality opponents to improve.
“The series against New Zealand was played with a very different team. The experience in that batting line-up and this batting line-up is chalk and cheese.
“Four or five batters in this top eight have played literally less than 15 Test matches.
“And they will grow, they are learning on the job. They’re learning on the field. Test cricket is never easy when you are playing against a top quality side. See you’ve got to give them time as well.
“Hopefully they keep learning as well.This is exactly what transition is, when you’ve got your batting lineup which has played less than 15-20 Test matches.
“They need time to absorb pressure and they need time to get better against quality attacks and quality sides.”
With two stunning home series defeats in as many years, Gambhir aims to improve India’s Test side before their upcoming challenges in the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27.
“Start prioritising Test cricket. And everyone needs to be a stakeholder for that. If we want Test cricket to flourish in India, we need an overall effort.
“We can’t put things under the carpet. If you get runs in white-ball format, you forget what you’ve done in red-ball cricket. That shouldn’t happen.
“You don’t need the most skilful and most flamboyant characters in Test cricket. You need the toughest characters, with limited skills, who will go on to succeed in Test cricket, irrespective of conditions and what the situation is.”
India will next lock horns with the Proteas in a three-match ODI series starting November 30.
