After Team India's humiliating whitewash against South Africa, the second clean sweep at home under Gautam Gambhir, the head coach put his job on the line. After the Proteas thrashed India by 408 runs in the 2nd Test, Gambhir said that it is for the BCCI to decide if he should stay in charge or not.
When asked about his future, Gauti said, "Blame lies with everyone, starts with me. It is for the BCCI to decide. I have said this before as well, Indian cricket is important, I am not important."
However, Gambhir didn’t hesitate to highlight the positive results India has achieved during his tenure. "I am the same guy who got results in England, won the Champions Trophy, and the Asia Cup. This is a team which is learning," he added.
But for how long can we hide behind the excuse that the team is in transition? Yes, India has performed very well in the limited-overs formats under him, but losing in Test cricket, the format considered the purest of all, and losing at home, is simply not acceptable.
Talking about the 2nd Test vs South Africa, Gambhir accepted that it was a complete batting failure. "We need to play better. From 95/1 to 122/7 is not acceptable. You don't blame any individual or any particular shot. Blame lies with everyone. I never blamed individuals and won't do it going forward," he added.
Under Gambhir, India have lost 10 of the 18 Tests. That includes a whitewash against New Zealand last year and a Test series loss in Australia. After that, the team underwent a complete overhaul, where Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin retired. The new team was very impressive in England but the result against South Africa was similar to the one against the Kiwis.
Gambhir has often been blamed for playing too many all-rounders in the team and not put his trust in speciallist batters and bowlers. But, when asked about the kind of players that excel in Test cricket, Gambhir said, "You don't need the most flamboyant and talented cricketers to play Test cricket. What we need is tough characters with limited skills. They make good Test cricketers."
When asked about what the team needs to do to stop this slump, Gambhir said that players will have to start prioritising Test cricket.
"Start prioritising Test cricket, if you are really serious about Test cricket. If you are serious about Test cricket in India, a collective effort is required. You cannot only blame only players or a certain individual," he said.
But someone needs to explain this: if, after such poor Test results, neither the players nor Gambhir can be held responsible, then who exactly is accountable?
