Pressure mounts on Gambhir to deliver results; ex-cricketer fears worse for head coach should India fail in England

Pressure continues to mount on Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir after he failed to live up to the expectations since taking over the job from Rahul Dravid last year. Although Team India has been at the top of its game in white-ball cricket since his arrival, the Test side is reeling at the bottom, having lost seven matches and winning three in comparison. Let alone going from strength to strength in Tests, India conceded a golden chance to play its second straight WTC Final the last time after losing to New Zealand (at home) and Australia (away) in successive series.

Repercussions followed as several first-team players, including Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, announced their shock retirements (since) midway through the Australian tour. The selectors also formed a new leadership group for the marquee English tour, consisting of five Tests, the first of which India lost by five wickets late on the final day.

Leaving aside the two Tests India won at home (against Bangladesh) last year, they haven’t looked like a team to beat in Tests. Despite increasing reinforcement for their first series of the new WTC cycle (2025-27), Team India looked clueless on the field in the series opener in Leeds.

Although the newly appointed Test captain Shubman Gill was at the centre of things, former India cricketer-turned-broadcaster Aakash Chopra said he is willing to show patience with him but raises concerns over Gautam Gambhir’s role as head coach. He said that the BCCI agreed to everything Gautam asked for before accepting the role, including appointing the backroom staff of his choice, but if the results don’t improve, there could be consequences.

“This is the principle of Indian cricket, and it is true that if it is good, then everyone is proud of it. But if it is bad, then criticism is absolutely obvious. I will still be more patient with Shubman Gill because he has just become the captain. It will take him some time to understand,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

“There is a lot of pressure on Gautam Gambhir. The pressure is absolutely mounting. If you look at his performances in Test cricket and Red-ball cricket, you will find that he has not won a lot of matches. He has won 2 matches against Bangladesh and one against Australia. However, we lost three against New Zealand, three against Australia and one against England. He has been losing and losing,” he continued.

‘No excuse’

Chopra feels the England series could decide Gautam’s fate as the Test coach.

“His performance in white-ball cricket has been good. The team has been playing well. But in Test cricket, I think the questions are going to be there. And I think there is a lot of pressure on this series. If this series doesn't go well, God forbid, I hope it goes well. I really want Indian cricket to do well. But if the England series doesn't go too well, then there will be a question mark.

“Where are they going, and what are they doing? Because the selectors feel that whatever team management is asking for, it is being given. The type of player you want, the number of players you want, and the player you are pointing at are being given. So, if this is the case, then you also need to deliver the results. Period. There is no excuse,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Edgbaston in Birmingham will host the second Test between India and England starting next Wednesday (Jul 2).