After overseeing a 0-2 Test series loss to South Africa on Wednesday, underfire Gautam Gambhir stated that the Indian cricket board should choose his future as coach.
India slumped to a 408-run defeat in the second Test against South Africa — their heaviest loss by runs and their fifth defeat in seven home games.
A year after being swept 0-3 by New Zealand, the latest capitulation in Guwahati has once again cast serious doubts over Gambhir’s tactics.
When asked in the post-match press conference whether he was the right man for the job, Gambhir said, “It is up to BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) to decide.”
“I’ve said it during my first press conference when I took over as the head coach — Indian cricket is important, I’m not important. And I sit here saying exactly the same thing.”
After the T20 World Cup victory last year, former batsman Gambhir, 44, took Rahul Dravid’s place as coach. Since then, he has lost 10 of 19 Test matches. His contract runs till the ODI World Cup in 2027.
“People can keep forgetting I’m the same guy who got results in England as well, with a young team,” he said of the drawn away Test series this year.
“And I’m sure you guys will forget very soon because a lot of people keep talking about New Zealand. And I’m the same guy under who we won the Champions Trophy and Asia Cup as well,” he added.
Stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ended their Test careers earlier this year and exited T20 cricket following the World Cup victory in Barbados. Before the 2-2 series draw in England, Shubman Gill was named Test captain.
After guiding India to a 2-0 victory over the West Indies at home, Gill missed the second Test after getting hurt in the first game of the South Africa series.
For a team in transition, Rishabh Pant filled in as captain. India’s batting regularly faltered over the two-match series, as they collapsed to 140 all out in a massive chase of 549. Their highest total was 201, that came in the first innings in Guwahati.
“I don’t give excuses and I have never done that in the past,” said Gambhir. “But if you see four or five batters in this top eight have literally played less than 15 Tests. And they will grow. They are learning on the job.”
On favorable home tracks, South Africa’s Simon Harmer outperformed the Indian spinners, taking 17 wickets with his off-spin.
“I do not think so ever in a Test cricket something like this has happened where the transition is happening in the spin-bowling department and in a batting department as well,” said Gambhir.
“All of us need to give them time and I am sure they have got the skill, they have got the talent, they have got the ability.”
