Last update:03 November 2024, 4:29 p.m. IST

It was expected that Gambhir would continue to help the Indian team maintain their dominance in all three forms of the game, but that was not the case.

Gautam Gambhir is now under pressure after India suffered their first Test series defeat at home after 12 years. (Image: Sportzpics)

All the excitement over Gautam Gambhir’s appointment as head coach of the Indian cricket team may have died down as the former Indian cricketer is now under pressure to bring the team back on their way to victory after suffering a whitewash defeat against New Zealand in 2018. Three-match home Test series.

Since taking charge, Gambhir was expected to continue to help the Indian team maintain their dominance in all three forms of the game, but that has not been the case, especially in the 50 over and Test formats.

Now let’s take a look at Gambhir’s record as the head coach of the Indian cricket team.

IND vs SL – 3-0 Win (3 Match T20I Series – Away)

The T20I series marked a significant change when it came to the T20I side. While Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirement after the T20 World Cup victory, Suryakumar Yadav was given the responsibility of leading in the shortest format. The Sri Lanka series showed how prepared the young players were to face the challenges with a dominant victory in the series where Sri Lanka did not pose much of a threat.

IND vs SL – 0-2 Loss (3 Match ODI Series – Away)

Many expected the Indian team to continue on a similar trajectory after the dominant T20I series victory. But that wasn’t the case. Despite selecting big guns like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant and others, Sri Lanka’s relatively inferior spin attack has managed to outperform their Indian counterparts. The senior Indian batters had their spin vulnerabilities massively exposed, a theme that would be recurring in subsequent games as well.

IND vs BAN – 2-0 Win (2 Test Match Series – Home)

After the shocking ODI series defeat, Gambhir then got his first Test assignment. As expected, the Indian team dominated both the bat and the ball against Bangladesh as they registered victories in both the Tests. There were more positive things to look forward to, including India’s results-oriented mindset which helped them achieve victory in the second match in Kanpur after the first two days were spoiled due to bad weather. It is safe to say that the Indian side was only tested by the conditions and not the opposition.

IND vs BAN – 3-0 Win (3 Match T20I Series – Home)

With more young talents entering the fray, India showed a new level of dominance against Bangladesh in the three-match T20I series. Many star players of the IPL have shown their brilliance on the international stage by breaking many records and also showing a new era of batting where bowlers are under pressure. The last T20I was where the team took things to a new level with the team scoring 297 runs in a blistering fashion to show the evolution of the team.

IND vs NZ – 0-3 Loss (3 Match Test Series – Home)

New Zealand was Gambhir’s first major test as head coach, and he did not pass with flying colors here. The Indian team suffered its first whitewash at home as the Indian batters failed from distance after being outplayed by the New Zealand spinners. Even in the more favorable conditions in Bangalore, Indian batting was no match as many unwanted records were set as the Kiwis created history by ending India’s dominant winning streak at home and undergoing their first home whitewash in a test series with more than 2 matches.

Looking at Gambhir’s numbers as head coach of the Indian cricket team, it seems that he may have managed to break into the T20I side, given his experience in the IPL. But when it comes to the ODI and Tests, many questions should be asked about whether Gambhir has what it takes to turn things around.