Gambhir Under Fire: India's Test Woes Spark Coaching Pressure After England Defeat

Saturday - 28/06/2025 00:08

Gautam Gambhir, India's head coach, faces increasing scrutiny after the team's struggles in Test cricket, highlighted by a recent defeat to England under Shubman Gill's captaincy. With only one win in the last nine Tests, including series losses to New Zealand and Australia, pressure mounts. Aakash Chopra emphasizes the need for results, noting the selectors' support.

Gautam Gambhir, the former India opener and current head coach, is facing increasing scrutiny following the Indian team's underwhelming performance in Test cricket. This comes despite their continued success in limited-overs formats, including their recent Champions Trophy victory.

Gautam Gambhir under pressure after India's Test loss

India coach Gautam Gambhir (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

The latest setback occurred at Headingley, where India, led by new captain Shubman Gill, suffered a five-wicket defeat against England. This loss adds to previous series defeats against New Zealand and Australia. Under Gambhir's guidance, India has managed to win only one of their last nine Test matches. This includes a 3-0 whitewash in New Zealand and a 3-1 defeat to Australia, resulting in India relinquishing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

This decline coincides with a transition period marked by the retirements of veteran players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from Test cricket after the series loss to Australia. A relatively inexperienced team, under Gill's captaincy, is still in the process of settling in, but their start in England has been disappointing.

Former India batter Aakash Chopra addressed the situation on his YouTube channel, calling for patience with Gill while also highlighting the growing pressure on Gambhir. He stated, "There is a lot of pressure on Gautam Gambhir. The pressure is absolutely mounting. He has won two matches against Bangladesh and one against Australia, but we lost three to New Zealand, three to Australia and now one to England. He has been losing and losing.”

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Chopra emphasized that there are no more excuses for the team's performance. "The selectors have given everything the coaching staff has asked for. So, if this is the case, then you also need to deliver the results. Period.”

With the England series at a critical juncture, Gambhir's leadership in the red-ball format is now under intense scrutiny.