India lost a Test series at home for the first time since 2012.
Following India's unexpected Test series loss to New Zealand, former Indian cricketer Atul Wassan spoke on the country's head coach, Gautam Gambhir. New Zealand won the second Test in Pune by 113 runs on Saturday, taking a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
This is India's first home Test series defeat since 2012. It also ended India’s 18 consecutive Test series win record at home.
This has led to severe criticism of new head coach Gautam Gambhir, under whom the Indian team has struggled to continue their dominance. It began with India losing an ODI series to Sri Lanka for the first time in 27 years and now India’s amazing home Test series win record has been broken.
But former India pacer Atul Wassan shared sympathies with Gautam Gambhir.
"I feel sorry for Gautam Gambhir to have this albatross across his neck now for losing this series after 12 years, and that too against a team that lost against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka recently. And we are talking about winning the WTC final... In the backdrop of all this, I still cannot overcome this feeling that we have lost within three days," Wassan told PTI.
Wassan claimed that he never expected India to lose so badly, particularly at home to New Zealand. He felt it difficult to pinpoint the reasons for India's defeat in the series.
"I think it's very difficult to put a finger on one thing that went wrong, but it's very shocking for me. I couldn't, even in my wildest dreams, think that we would lose to New Zealand and that too 2-0 in such a manner. I cannot actually fathom what went wrong," he added.
India's defeat has prompted deep reflection, with Gambhir and the team management now facing tough questions ahead of the final Test.