India have lost six out of 10 Tests with Gambhir at the helm of affairs.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has come under the scanner after the team’s poor show in the recently held Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under.
Gambhir was named India’s head coach after Rahul Dravid’s tenure ended with the T20 World Cup triumph in June 2024. The southpaw was appointed with a lot of expectations as he mentored KKR to the IPL title last year.
His stint with the Men in Blue began on a bitter-sweet note as India won the T20I series 3-0 and lost the ODIs 0-2 on the tour of Sri Lanka. Subsequently, India suffered a humiliating 0-3 defeat in the home Test series against New Zealand under his guidance.
The recent 1-3 drubbing at the hands of Australia is drawing him a lot of flak, with many experts and former cricketers suggesting that Gambhir is not a suitable candidate to coach the Test side.
Amid the scrutiny, legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev shared his assessment of Gautam Gambhir's tenure so far, saying that the expectations may be high but the onus ultimately lies on the players to perform.
“The expectations are high. The coaches are not on the field, but the captain and the team are on the ground. A new coach will come out with his own ideas and hope it will serve the country in a better sense. If he’s not, then people will raise their finger,” Kapil told Gulf News.
According to reports, Gambhir had some stern words for the entire squad in the dressing room after India lost seven wickets in a session to lose the Boxing Day Test at MCG.
Kapil Dev pointed out that Gambhir is a ‘temperamental person’ and his personality is quite different from his predecessors – Rahul Dravid and Ravi Shastri.
“Gambhir is a slightly temperamental person. He’s different from Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid. Every coach has his own way of thinking, so let’s hope he will do better for the country,” he added.
Gautam Gambhir's next assignment begins later this month when India face England in five T20Is and three ODIs at home. The white-ball series against England will be followed by the ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held in Pakistan and UAE from February 19 to March 9.