As Pressure Piles On Gautam Gambhir, India Stars Accused Of Not Taking 'Responsibility'

Head coach Gautam Gambhir has been under fire ever since India was whitewashed in the two-match Test series against South Africa. After losing the first Test by 30 runs, the hosts suffered a humiliating 408-run defeat in the second match in Guwahati. It was India's biggest defeat in terms of runs in the history of Test cricket. Following the loss, many fans and former cricketers criticized Gambhir, as this was the second time India had been whitewashed in a home Test series under his coaching. Earlier in 2024, India endured a 0-3 clean sweep against New Zealand at home.

Amid the criticism, former India wicketkeeper Robin Uthappa backed Gambhir, stating that the players should also be held accountable for the defeat.

"Yes, there have been a lot of things said, and I understand where it comes from. People are saying there is no steady batting order, there are too many changes, fewer specialists and more all-rounders in the squad. Those are all very valid points. I think there needs to be a relook at how Test cricket is approached. That's certainly valid. There are grievances about his style of coaching. What's good is that a lot of what Gauti is doing works in white-ball cricket. But will that necessarily work in red-ball cricket? Not always. I definitely think you need specialists there," Uthappa said on his YouTube show with Jarrod Kimber.

"But one thing we are all missing is the fact that no one is really talking about the players and the ownership they should be taking. Everyone is going after the coach - his record and India's record in the last year. A lot of valid points have been made about his style of coaching and the discrepancies that exist at this point in time. But very little has been spoken about what the players are doing right now and what they should be doing, especially in Test cricket," he added.

Uthappa further stated that the players need to step up and accept their faults and should also face the criticism.

"Ownership has to be taken by the players. People need to put their hands up more. It's not just about the coach. We need to do better as well. The batters need to defend well and grind out situations. They need to play the situation; they can't simply try and hit out. Those are deeper conversations that aren't being had. A lot of blame is being put on different people," he said.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team South Africa Cricket Team Gautam Gambhir India vs South Africa 2025, India Cricket