NEW DELHI — In the journey of life, “firsts” are usually a cause for celebration. We cherish a child’s first steps, a student’s first job, or that first hard-earned paycheck. But in the high-stakes world of Indian cricket, some “firsts” carry a heavy burden of infamy. Just ask India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir.
Following India’s 41-run defeat in the Indore decider on Sunday, Gambhir has added another unwanted entry to his growing list of historic lows: overseeing India’s first-ever bilateral home ODI series loss to New Zealand.
1. A Growing List of Dubious History
When Gambhir took the reins, he inherited a team that had not lost a home Test series in over a decade. Within months, the “fortress” was breached repeatedly.
- The New Zealand Test Disaster (Nov 2024): Gambhir became the first Indian coach to witness a 3-0 Test whitewash on home soil. To put that in perspective, the Kiwis had lost 10 of their previous 12 series in India.
- The South African Setback (Nov 2025): Exactly a year later, he became the first coach in 25 years to surrender a home Test series to South Africa, including a record-breaking 408-run defeat in Guwahati.
- The ODI Milestone (Jan 2026): Sunday’s loss in Indore marked the first time in eight attempts that India has lost a home ODI series to the Black Caps.
2. Defensive Stance vs. Merited Criticism
Gambhir has never been one to shy away from a confrontation. When questioned about his job security following the South Africa debacle, he pointed to his successes in England and the 2025 Champions Trophy and T20 Asia Cup titles.
However, while a coach cannot bat or bowl for the players, he is responsible for the strategy. While the batting group—featuring superstars like Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul—failed to click as a unit in this series, it is the tactical benching of key players that has experts raising eyebrows.
3. Tactical Blunders Under the Scanner
The “Gambhir Way” is facing intense scrutiny for several baffling selection calls during the New Zealand ODI series:
- The Arshdeep Enigma: Why was Arshdeep Singh, India’s most consistent left-arm pacer, benched for the first two matches in favor of Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna? He only returned for the decider after the damage was largely done.
- The Nitish Kumar Reddy Dilemma: If Reddy is being groomed as the future fast-bowling all-rounder for the 2027 World Cup, why was he under-bowled (only 2 overs in Rajkot) and buried at No. 7 in the batting order?
- Squad Replacements: The decision to draft in Ayush Badoni as a replacement for the injured Washington Sundar over more established spinning options left the middle-overs attack looking toothless.
4. The Silver Lining: A One-Man Army
The only person seemingly immune to the “Gambhir Curse” is Virat Kohli. The former skipper has been in sublime form, hitting scores of 93, 23, and 124 in this series. In Indore, Kohli’s 54th ODI ton was a lonely masterpiece.
Despite valiant half-centuries from youngsters Nitish Reddy (53) and Harshit Rana (52), the lack of support from the rest of the top five (who left India reeling at 71/4) meant even Kohli’s magic couldn’t pull a rabbit out of the hat.
The Road Ahead: T20 World Cup 2026
With the T20 World Cup less than three weeks away, the management’s decision to rest Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya was a pragmatic move to preserve “fragile bodies.” However, the lack of a winning momentum and the erosion of home-ground psychological advantage will weigh heavily on Gambhir’s shoulders as the team heads into the mega-event.