India were clean swept in a Test series at home for the second year running.
After New Zealand blanked India 3-0 last year, world Test champions South Africa smashed them 2-0. Uthappa, Gambhir's former teammate, praised Sunil Gavaskar for calling out Gambhir's critics, noting that it is often easier to criticize someone than to find true solutions to India's Test difficulties.
“I liked what Sunny Gavaskar said. Sunny G said you can call for his head if you called for his extension after the Champions Trophy triumph or the Asia Cup. People need someone to blame this on,” Uthappa said on his YouTube show with Jarrod Kimber.
Uthappa did concede, though, that several criticisms were legitimate, including the batting order's instability and the preference for all-rounders over Test specialists.
“Yes, there have been a lot of things said, and I understand where it comes from. People are saying there is no steady batting order, there are too many changes, and there are fewer specialists and more all-rounders in the squad. Those are all very valid points. I think there needs to be a relook at how Test cricket is approached. That’s certainly valid. There are grievances about his style of coaching. What’s good is that a lot of what Gauti is doing works in white-ball cricket. But will that necessarily work in red-ball cricket? Not always. I definitely think you need specialists there,” he said.
“But one thing we are all missing is the fact that no one is really talking about the players and the ownership they should be taking. Everyone is going after the coach, his record, and India’s record in the last year. A lot of valid points have been made about his style of coaching and the discrepancies that exist at this point in time,” Uthappa said.
Uthappa stressed that batters must find ways to grit it out in the middle.
“But very little has been spoken about what the players are doing right now and what they should be doing, especially in Test cricket. Ownership has to be taken by the players. People need to put their hands up more. It’s not just about the coach. We need to do better as well. The batters need to defend well and grind out situations. They need to play the situation; they can’t simply try and hit out. Those are deeper conversations that aren’t being had. A lot of blame is being put on different people. But the players are taking very little responsibility at the moment,” he added.
India's Test lineup has fluctuated under Gambhir, with the team lacking coherence due to frequent changes in batting positions and bowling strategies. An excessive desire to include all-rounders in the starting lineup, even when they don't contribute much with either skill, is mostly to blame for the confusion.
India utilized nine No. 3s in seven years under Kohli, with Cheteshwar Pujara holding the position for 65 Tests; under Gambhir, seven players have occupied that one position in only one year. In 12 months, he has used 24 players, while Kohli has used 42 during seven seasons.