India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has experienced a turbulent tenure ever since taking charge in July last year. While his leadership has delivered major highs—including India winning both the Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup—the red-ball format has exposed deep struggles within the team. India’s recent Test performances at home have been especially disappointing and have raised serious questions about the team’s direction.
Under Gambhir, India suffered a shocking 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand last year, followed by a 2-0 sweep at the hands of South Africa earlier this season. These results are particularly alarming because India have been whitewashed in a home Test series only three times in their entire cricketing history—and two of those humiliating defeats have occurred during Gambhir’s tenure as head coach.
As expected, the poor run in Test cricket has triggered intense criticism, with many questioning Gambhir’s strategies and leadership in the longer format. However, former India all-rounder and ex-head coach Ravi Shastri believes it is unfair to pin the blame solely on one individual.
Speaking on Prabhat Khabar’s YouTube podcast, Shastri emphasised the importance of collective responsibility, stating that defeats of this nature stem from broader team failures rather than the shortcomings of a single coach.
Shastri also stressed that players must feel accountable and emotionally affected when the team underperforms.
“When results come, one thing the public should remember is that players should also take responsibility. You cannot target one individual. It has happened to me, and I am speaking from experience,” he said.
He added, “The players must also take the rap on the knuckles when something like this happens. There should be pride. They should feel hurt that we have lost. Until that happens, things will not move forward.”
The former coach further pointed out that India were simply outplayed by a better-performing South African side.
“Everyone—from the team management to the players—must be accountable. You cannot single out one person. South Africa defeated India as a team; no single player defeated India. South Africa played well collectively. Where did we play?” he remarked.
For context, India’s first-ever Test series whitewash at home took place during the 1999–2000 season, when South Africa beat the hosts 2-0. The two most recent whitewashes, however, reflect a troubling pattern in India’s red-ball performance under Gambhir’s current tenure.