Gautam Gambhir’s one-and-a-half-year tenure as India’s head coach has delivered glittering results in limited-overs cricket, an ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai followed by an Asia Cup title at the same venue. Both triumphs came in conditions tailor-made for India, and the euphoria that followed briefly positioned Gambhir as the architect of a new era.
But the real examination of a coach still lies in the longest format, and on that count, India’s red-ball trajectory has nosedived. When Gambhir took charge, India were firmly in command of the 2024 World Test Championship (WTC) standings, almost assured of a spot in the final. Four months later, that comfortable position lay in ruins. India lost six Test matches in rapid succession, three shockingly at home to New Zealand and three more in Australia, abruptly collapsing out of contention.
The new WTC cycle offered a chance to rebuild without the shadow of two departing giants, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both retired from Test cricket. Yet India have already lost three of their eight Tests in this phase and now sit a troubling fourth on the WTC table. Under Gambhir, India’s overall Test record reads: 18 matches, 7 wins, 9 losses, and 2 draws, with the only series victories coming against Bangladesh and West Indies. The numbers speak plainly, India have regressed in red-ball cricket at an alarming rate.
Home fortress crumbles
The most serious concern surrounding Gambhir’s Test stewardship has been his insistence on extreme pitches at home. After India’s latest defeat in Guwahati, the coach defended the surface, saying, “This was exactly the pitch we wanted.” The match ended inside two and a half days — not for the first time.
Gambhir opted for similarly sharp-turning, underprepared surfaces against New Zealand a year earlier, leading to an unprecedented 0-3 home whitewash. In eras past, such failures on Indian soil would have triggered a full-fledged review of the head coach’s red-ball credentials. But with white-ball success offering convenient cover, the BCCI appears willing to ride out the storm.
Several prominent voices, Sourav Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Cheteshwar Pujara among them, have criticised the strategy. Ashwin questioned why India have abandoned traditional turning tracks that challenge both edges and offer bounce. WV Raman, speaking to TOI, cautioned that rank turners neutralise India’s superior spin attack and bring average visiting spinners firmly into the contest.
The evidence is damning: India have lost the toss in three of their four home defeats this past year, forcing them to bat second on crumbling surfaces — exactly the opposite of Gambhir’s stated aim of “taking the toss out of the equation.” Spinners like Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel, Simon Harmer, and Keshav Maharaj — none automatic picks even in domestic cricket powerhouses — have looked unplayable on these pitches, exposing India’s batters and undermining the team’s long-term Test competitiveness.
Selection roulette adds to instability
If the pitches have caused raised eyebrows, Gambhir’s selection strategy has sparked even more debate. Borrowing from the ‘horses-for-courses’ template used effectively in T20 cricket, the coach has attempted to replicate constant tactical rotation in the Test arena — with chaotic results.
The clearest example is the No. 3 position, traditionally reserved for India’s most technically assured batter. Under Gambhir, the slot has seen a revolving door of candidates: Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Sai Sudarshan, and even Washington Sundar. None have been given long enough runs to settle, creating insecurity and inconsistency in the heart of the lineup. While rotation may work in white-ball dynamically, Test cricket thrives on stability — something India currently lack across departments.
White-ball victories may keep the spotlight favourable for now, but India’s Test cricket, the format that defines legacy, is drifting. If the current trends persist, India may be forced to revisit their coaching structure and consider whether Gambhir’s philosophies truly align with the demands of red-ball cricket.