India’s prolonged era of dominance at home has unravelled dramatically, and head coach Gautam Gambhir has found himself at the centre of intense criticism. After remaining unbeaten in home Test series for twelve years, widely considered one of the greatest runs in cricket history, India have now suffered two whitewashes within twelve months. They were beaten 0 to 3 by New Zealand in November 2024 and 0 to 2 by South Africa, the reigning World Test Champions. Despite stating that he was not in the business of offering excuses, Gambhir still listed several reasons behind the team’s decline during his media interaction on Wednesday. He emphasised that India were undergoing a significant transition and cautioned against comparing the two series defeats.
Gambhir Cites Transition After Retirements of Ashwin, Kohli, Rohit
Gambhir pointed out that the team had changed considerably since the New Zealand series. The retirements of R Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma had left large gaps, and he stressed that India’s current batting group lacked experience and needed time to grow.
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“I do not give excuses. I have never done that in the past. I will never do it in the future. Test cricket is never easy when you are playing against a top quality side. So you have got to give them time as well. So for me, I think that is something they will keep learning. That is important. Because I know that I hate using this word transition. This is exactly what transition is,” he said at the Barsapara Stadium after India’s 408 run defeat.
Venkatesh Prasad Slams Gambhir: ‘Cannot Hide Under Garb of Transition’
Former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad reacted strongly to Gambhir’s statements. In a post on X, he argued that the “transition” argument did not hold up, pointing out that most players in the squad had already been part of the Test set-up for several years. He said that only three cricketers Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel and Nitish Kumar Reddy were relatively new.
According to him, the defeats revealed deeper structural and tactical issues, including questionable team selections and an overdependence on all-rounders.
“We cannot hide under the garb of transition. Barring Sudarshan, Jurel and Reddy, most of the guys have been around for 7 to 8 years. Some very experienced campaigners. This is a series of tactical errors , obsession with playing all rounders and not wanting to learn from mistakes. Embarrassing,” Prasad wrote.
Alarming Home Record Under Gambhir’s Tenure
India’s recent home performances highlight their struggles. Under Gambhir, the team has played seven home Tests across four series and suffered five defeats. They also lost the Border Gavaskar Trophy to Australia last season, ending nearly a decade of dominance in the marquee rivalry.
The only encouraging result this year came in England, where India managed a 2 to 2 draw. However, many felt it was a missed opportunity as the Ben Stokes led side was severely depleted.
What Lies Ahead for India
India’s next Test challenge will be a two match series in Sri Lanka in August 2026. That will be followed by an away tour of New Zealand in October and November 2026. The ongoing World Test Championship cycle will conclude with a five match home series against Australia in January and February 2027.
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