Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as India’s Test coach has not started the way many hoped. In just 18 matches at the helm, India has managed only 7 wins, alongside 9 defeats and 2 draws. That brings his win percentage down to just 41.1%—a number that’s hard to ignore for a team that was once nearly unbeatable at home.
The cracks really began to show during the 3-0 home series defeat to New Zealand—India’s first whitewash at home in 25 years. The last time something like this happened was back in 2000, when India lost 2-0 to South Africa. For fans who grew up watching India dominate on turning tracks, this was nothing short of shocking.
Even more worrying is the contrast to India’s previous era of home dominance. From 2015 to 2022, India lost just 2 Tests at home. But under Gambhir, they’ve already lost 4 of the last 6. That kind of decline isn’t just a blip—it suggests something deeper is going wrong.
Let’s look at the numbers in context by comparing Gambhir’s record with his predecessors. Under Rahul Dravid, India played 24 Tests, winning 14, losing 7, and drawing 3. His win percentage was 58.3%, and he guided India to the 2023 World Test Championship Final, also winning six bilateral series.
Now take Ravi Shastri, who led India in 43 Tests. India won 25 of those, lost 13, and drew 5—an impressive win rate of 58.1%. More importantly, Shastri’s side won back-to-back Test series in Australia and made it to the first-ever WTC Final in 2021.
Even when you narrow it down to just home Tests, the difference becomes starker. Shastri lost just one home Test during his tenure, Dravid lost two, and Gambhir already has four defeats to his name—aur woh bhi sirf 18 matches mein.
You can argue about pitch conditions, poor selections, or that the team is in transition. But the uncomfortable reality is this: India is no longer invincible at home. And until the coaching setup brings stability and clarity, that trend might just continue.
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