Shortly after India lost to South Africa by an incredible 408 runs in the second Test at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Wednesday, Gautam Gambhir was jeered for the first time since he became head coach of the Indian cricket team in 2024.
“Gambhir hai hai, go back,” yelled irate spectators from one of the stands. The stadium, which had just seen one of the Indian cricket team’s worst home afternoons, echoed with the loud chanting.
The coach glanced toward the gallery for a moment before averting his gaze and remaining still. The players were immediately drawn to the scenes. Few players in the playing eleven were forced to look away from the post-match huddle at one point due to the loud noise levels.
At that moment, pacer Mohammed Siraj motioned for the fans to be silent. Soon after, Siraj and assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak approached the gallery and appealed for calm.
The backlash points to a deeper frustration. Gambhir is now the only India coach in the new millennium to oversee five home Test defeats — a remarkable fall for a team that had turned its home grounds into an almost impenetrable fortress over the past two decades.
The 408-run hammering, India’s heaviest home Test defeat by runs, sealed a humbling series sweep for South Africa.
This is only the third time that India lost a home series in consecutive years. This is also the first time that India lost 5 Tests in a two-season stretch. Not just that, this is also the first time in 66 years that India lost 5 of their last 7 Test matches.
South Africa defeated the hosts in their own game of spin on a batting-friendly track after India lost the first Test in Kolkata inside three days on a pitch with variable bounce.
More than 40 years have passed since India last lost two Test series at home in a row, against the West Indies in 1983 and England in 1984–85.
Before the NZ series debacle last year, India had only lost two home series since their 0-2 loss to South Africa in 2000: against Australia in 2004 and against England in 2012.
