Gambhir Under Fire: India's Test Struggles Intensify After England Defeat

Saturday - 28/06/2025 00:30

Gautam Gambhir, India's head coach, faces increasing scrutiny after the team's struggles in Test cricket, highlighted by a recent defeat to England under Shubman Gill's captaincy. With only one win in the last nine Tests, including series losses to New Zealand and Australia, pressure mounts. Aakash Chopra emphasizes the need for results, noting the selectors' support.

Gautam Gambhir Faces Scrutiny as India's Test Performance Falters

Under pressure: India coach Gautam Gambhir during a match.

Former India opener and current head coach Gautam Gambhir is under increasing pressure following the Indian team's underwhelming performance in Test cricket, despite their continued success in limited-overs formats, including their recent Champions Trophy victory.

The latest setback occurred at Headingley, where India, led by new captain Shubman Gill, suffered a five-wicket defeat against England. This loss compounds previous series defeats against New Zealand and Australia. Notably, India has only managed to win one of their last nine Test matches under Gambhir's leadership. This period includes a 3-0 whitewash in New Zealand and a 3-1 defeat to Australia, which resulted in India losing the prestigious Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

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This period of struggle coincides with a transitional phase for the team, marked by the retirements of veteran players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from Test cricket following the series loss to Australia. A relatively new team, now under the leadership of Shubman Gill, is still finding its footing, and their start in England has been far from satisfactory.

Former Indian batter Aakash Chopra addressed the situation on his YouTube channel, emphasizing the need for patience with Gill while also cautioning about the growing pressure on Gambhir. He stated, "There is a lot of pressure on Gautam Gambhir. The pressure is absolutely mounting. He has won two matches against Bangladesh and one against Australia, but we lost three to New Zealand, three to Australia and now one to England. He has been losing and losing.”

Chopra further emphasized that there are "no excuses left." He added, “The selectors have given everything the coaching staff has asked for. So, if this is the case, then you also need to deliver the results. Period.”

With the England series currently finely balanced, Gambhir's leadership in the red-ball format is now under intense scrutiny.