Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has launched a strong defence of under-fire head coach Gautam Gambhir, following India's crushing 0-2 Test series defeat against South Africa. The legendary batsman questioned the logic of blaming the coach when it is the players who must deliver performances on the field.
Gavaskar's Counter to the Critics
Speaking to 'India Today', Gavaskar articulated his support for the coach. "He's a coach. The coach can prepare a team. The coach can tell, you know, a guy with his experience. But it's out there in the middle that the players have to deliver," Gavaskar stated. He directly challenged the critics calling for Gambhir's removal, asking them what they did when the team succeeded under his leadership.
"Now, to those who are asking for him to be held accountable, my question, counter-question is: what did you do when India won the Champions Trophy under him? What did you do when India won the Asia Cup under him?" Gavaskar argued. He emphasized the inconsistency, pointing out that while people demand a sacking after losses, they did not call for an extended contract after these significant tournament victories.
A Pattern of Test Setbacks
The criticism against Gambhir intensified after a massive 408-run loss to South Africa in the second Test in Guwahati, which sealed the series sweep for the Proteas. This marked India's third Test series defeat since Gambhir took over the helm 16 months ago.
The series defeats under his tenure include:
- A 0-3 loss to New Zealand at home.
- A 1-3 defeat away to Australia.
- The recent 0-2 whitewash against South Africa.
Gavaskar Cites Global Precedent
Further bolstering his defence, Gavaskar highlighted that there is nothing unusual about having an all-format coach, using England's Brendon McCullum as a prime example. "You have coaches, for example, Brendon McCullum is a coach for all three formats for England. A lot of countries have a coach who is there for all formats," he said.
He concluded with a powerful rhetorical question for the critics. "But we tend to only look and point a finger at somebody when the team has lost. You're not prepared to give him credit... If you're not prepared to give him credit for the Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup win, then please tell me why you want to blame him for the team out there on that 22-yard, not doing well. Why are you blaming him?" Gavaskar's comments have ignited a fresh debate on accountability and the role of a coach in modern cricket.
