Gautam Gambhir has made it clear that he has no intention of stepping down as India’s head coach, even though the Test side has endured a difficult year at home, losing five of the seven matches played under his guidance. The 3–0 defeat to New Zealand last October had already raised alarm bells, and the recent 2–0 loss to South Africa has only intensified discussions around one key question: Is it time for Gambhir to walk away from the role, at least in the longest format?
According to Gambhir himself, that possibility is nowhere on the horizon. After Rahul Dravid’s tenure ended with India lifting the T20 World Cup on June 29, the BCCI appointed Gambhir to take charge. Since then, India’s performance in limited overs cricket has been impressive, with victories in both the Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup. Their Test results, however, have not matched the same standard. Losing the Border Gavaskar Trophy, scraping wins against Bangladesh and the West Indies, and only managing to draw a series in England have all added pressure.
When a journalist finally asked him directly whether he still believed he was the right man to coach India, Gambhir accepted a share of the responsibility but pointed out what the team has achieved during his tenure.
“The BCCI will take that call. I said from the very beginning that Indian cricket matters more than any individual, and I still stand by that. People also seem to overlook that we performed well in England with a young squad. The focus always shifts to New Zealand, but the same group under me won the Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup. This is a young Test team and they need time, experience, and every opportunity to improve. That is exactly what we are working towards,” Gambhir said at the post match press interaction.
The second Test in Guwahati ended in a staggering 408 run defeat, the heaviest home Test loss in India’s history, sealing a comfortable series win for South Africa and adding further scrutiny to Gambhir’s tenure.
