Team India succumbed to a 0-2 whitewash in the recent Test series against South Africa at home. This was the second instance in a span of just 12 months that the side ended up being whitewashed in a home Test series.
With head coach Gautam Gambhir at the helm, India have won seven, lost 10 and drew two of their 19 Tests so far, which includes a 0-3 series sweep against New Zealand.
India also conceded the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 1-3 in Australia. The only Test series wins under Gambhir's tenure have come against Bangladesh and the West Indies at home.
After the recent debacle against South Africa, calls for Gambhir’s removal have grown louder. In fact, the agitated fans at Guwahati’s Barsapara Cricket Stadium booed the Indian coach, chanting, ‘Gautam Gambhir Haye Haye’, in unison following the 408-run thrashing in the second Test.
Moreover, Gambhir's strained relationship with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has also become a debating point as fans continue to speculate about the future of two senior India batters in the ODI format.
Amidst heavy scrutiny, former India pacer Zaheer Khan advised the current chief coach to develop a thick skin and hear the brickbats with an open mind.
“Emotions run high. You are expected to win pretty much every game. You are expected to win because you've been doing that consistently. You have the strength on your side to achieve those kinds of milestones and secure those kinds of victories. So, accountability and appraisal are always going to be there. So, it goes hand in hand,” said Zaheer on Cricbuzz.
“It's just that the job demands you to be that way. The scrutiny with the game is always going to be there, with your role is always going to be there. So, I think, you know, it's something which you got to be. You got to be able to balance it. You've got to be thick-skinned to be able to deal with all these kinds of criticism. But again, I said, it's coming with the kind of expectation, the kind of passion which everyone has. And the kind of ability which you have as a team,” he added.
Zaheer also advised Gambhir to be more transparent in terms of communicating his plans for the team and how he aims to take the side forward.
“The disappointment always comes because you know that you can do better. And the frustration comes with those kinds of emotions. It's just that kind of phase. So, you need to have that communication also from the team management that, okay, you know, rather than getting the emotions get the better of you, you have to be able to have a very open dialogue because the fans are understanding as well. You know, they understand that they're going to be there even though you're frustrated,” Zaheer stated.
“As long as you're following a process which is leading to what you want to achieve. And having those kinds of results. You know, it becomes result-oriented. So, I think, the communication in terms of the thought process, which is being implied at this stage, if the team is more vocal about it, more transparent about it, I think the fans will also understand where they're coming from. It's important not to get carried away,” he remarked.
