Gambhir's Test Coaching Under Fire as India Stumbles Against England; "No More Excuses," Says Former Cricketer

Saturday - 28/06/2025 00:10

Gautam Gambhir, India's head coach, faces increasing scrutiny after the team's struggles in Test cricket, highlighted by a recent defeat to England under Shubman Gill's captaincy. With only one win in the last nine Tests, including series losses to New Zealand and Australia, pressure mounts. Aakash Chopra emphasizes the need for results, noting the selectors' support.

Former Indian opener and current head coach Gautam Gambhir is under increasing pressure following the Indian team's recent struggles in Test cricket, despite their continued success in limited-overs formats, including their Champions Trophy victory.

Gautam Gambhir faces pressure as India's Test coach

India coach Gautam Gambhir (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

The latest setback occurred at Headingley, where India, led by new captain Shubman Gill, suffered a five-wicket defeat against England. This loss compounds previous series defeats against New Zealand and Australia. Notably, India has managed to win only one of their last nine Test matches under Gambhir's leadership. This period includes a 3-0 whitewash in New Zealand and a 3-1 defeat against Australia, resulting in India surrendering the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

This challenging phase has coincided with a transition period marked by the retirements of veteran players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from Test cricket following the series loss to Australia. A new team, under Gill's captaincy, is still finding its footing, and their start in England has been disappointing.

Former Indian batter Aakash Chopra shared his analysis of the situation on his YouTube channel, urging patience with Gill while also highlighting the mounting pressure on Gambhir. He stated, "There is a lot of pressure on Gautam Gambhir. The pressure is absolutely mounting. He has won two matches against Bangladesh and one against Australia, but we lost three to New Zealand, three to Australia and now one to England. He has been losing and losing.”

Chopra emphasized that there are no more excuses for the team's performance. “The selectors have given everything the coaching staff has asked for. So, if this is the case, then you also need to deliver the results. Period.”

With the England series finely balanced, Gambhir's leadership in the red-ball format is now under intense scrutiny.