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At this rate, coach Gautam Gambhir won’t be able to stay out of the spotlight for long. Under his watch, India lost a home series to New Zealand, looked completely out of sorts against Australia Down Under, and have now lost the opening Test to England at Leeds — despite dominating six sessions and sharing two out of the 15.
Yet, it’s hard to pin the blame solely on the coach. The real letdown came from the Indian players: five individual centuries weren’t enough, the bowling lacked discipline with lines sprayed on both sides of the wicket, lower-order batting collapses in both the innings, catches were dropped, and England — playing smart, risk-free cricket — controlled seven sessions and pulled off a clinical chase, beating India at their own game.
Something clearly went massively wrong with this Indian team, despite being in positions of strength on multiple occasions. Chasing over 370 runs is always a tall ask — yet England did it with remarkable ease. The difference? India’s individualistic approach, where far too many players seemed to be playing for personal milestones rather than the collective cause.
At a fundamental level, it appears that Indian players are conditioned to focus on themselves first — and only then think about the team. That mindset, especially in high-pressure Test matches, can be the difference between winning and losing.
The aftermath of the Test series loss to Australia continues to cast a shadow over this Indian team. The dressing room has reportedly been filled with a degree of toxicity, and the focus for many players now seems to have shifted from team success to self-preservation.
A turning point, perhaps, was the way Rohit Sharma was treated during the Australia tour — particularly his omission from the playing XI in the Sydney Test. That moment left a lasting impression. When a senior player of Rohit’s stature can be dropped without clarity or backing, it’s no surprise that others have grown more concerned about securing their own place than prioritising team objectives.
Let’s not forget that during his playing days, even Gambhir often carried the fear of getting dropped — especially when runs didn’t come easily. By his own admission, that pressure was sometimes amplified by the presence of an opening partner who made him feel insecure.
Perhaps that lingering psychology is now influencing his role as a coach. Who knows — maybe Gambhir’s very presence, unintentionally or not, is contributing to the current environment of insecurity within the team.
If scoring runs is the only benchmark for retaining a spot in the XI, then who takes responsibility for delivering match-winning knocks or producing game-changing spells? If Jasprit Bumrah is considered India’s premier fast bowler and leader of the attack, why isn’t he able to inspire those around him?
Why are bowlers like Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna struggling with consistency — failing to hit the right line and length when it matters most? It’s not just about individual brilliance, but about lifting the unit — and right now, that synergy is missing.
“Why is Mohammad Shami not playing in England?” senior journalist Sukorno Sen asked pointedly. “Even a partially injured Shami would have been more effective than the current crop of bowlers,” he remarked, reflecting a sentiment that many in the cricketing circle share.
It may once again come down to Gambhir’s philosophy — not wanting to burden the team with players who aren’t 100% fit. But critics argue that this rigid approach may be costing India in high-stakes matches.
“All the heroics of Gill, Pant, Rahul, and Jaiswal went down the drain. Despite batting for so long, Pant and company gifted the game to England by failing to build a lead of at least 450 — especially when there was ample time left in the game,” Sukorno summed up sharply.
Another avid follower of the game, Luv Prakash, was equally puzzled by India’s lack of urgency with the bat. “I think the entire fundamental was wrong. We played too slowly,” he said.
Even Padam Singh Chauhan, a DDCA member, had sent a prophetic message to CricBlogger as early as Monday: “India can still lose this Test.” And now that the prediction has come true, questions are being raised — but strangely, Gambhir continues to remain above blame. He may be a celebrated mentor in white-ball cricket, but what exactly is he bringing to India’s red-ball setup?
Very well summarized Neel!