Gambhir Under Fire: India's Test Woes Raise Questions About Coach's Future After England Defeat

Saturday - 28/06/2025 00:25

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.

Gautam Gambhir Faces Scrutiny Amid India's Test Struggles

Under pressure: India coach Gautam Gambhir.

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

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

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This challenging period coincides with a transition phase for the team, marked by the retirements of veteran players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from Test cricket after the series loss to Australia. A relatively new team, under the leadership of Shubman Gill, is still in the process of settling in, but their start in England has been far from satisfactory.

Former Indian batter Aakash Chopra shared his analysis of the situation on his YouTube channel, urging patience with Gill but also highlighting the growing pressure on Gambhir. "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 left. "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.