Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir is still troubled by the team’s 0–3 home loss to New Zealand last year. He also doesn’t want his players to forget that rare home Test thrashing as they prepare for the future.
India had not lost a series in 12 years till the loss to New Zealand.
“If I am being honest, and speak from the heart, I don’t think that in my coaching tenure, I can ever forget that, and I should not forget that. I have told this to the boys as well, it is important to look forward, but sometimes it is also important to remember the past as well.
“Everyone thought that we would roll over New Zealand. In that dressing room, we need to keep reminding that New Zealand happened. That’s one of the reasons why we don’t want to give an inch to the opposition now,” Gambhir told JioHotstar.
India’s hopes of competing in the World Test Championship (WTC) final for the third time in a row were ruined by the whitewash. India lost the ensuing away series to Australia as well.
The series in Australia ended up being the last for greats Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and R Ashwin who retired from the longest format.
In the 2025–27 World Test Championship cycle, India battled back to draw the Test series in England after falling behind. At home, India defeated the West Indies by an overwhelming innings and 140 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
