NEW DELHI: Staff India’s newest humiliation by the hands of South Africa has laid naked the deepening cracks in India’s Take a look at cricket construction below head coach Gautam Gambhir. The 408–run mauling in Guwahati — India’s greatest defeat by runs of their Take a look at historical past — not solely sealed a 0–2 collection whitewash however amplified issues over route, choice, and readability within the red-ball setup.The loss was India’s fifth defeat of their final seven dwelling Exams, a staggering slide for a staff that performed the finals of the primary two World Take a look at Championship cycles and as soon as prided itself on being unbeatable at dwelling. The Guwahati debacle additionally marked South Africa’s first Take a look at collection win in India in 25 years, underlining simply how precipitously India’s fortress has fallen.
Underneath Gambhir, India’s Take a look at journey has been turbulent, even chaotic. The staff has featured fixed chopping and altering, unstable batting positions, injured or retired stalwarts, and an over-reliance on all-rounders — all including to a notion of muddled planning. India have now slipped to 10 defeats in 19 Exams below the previous opener, and worryingly, their as soon as iron-clad dwelling file has eroded at an unprecedented tempo.Of the 4 dwelling collection within the Gambhir period, India have claimed victories solely towards Bangladesh and West Indies — sides thought-about comparatively weak. Towards stronger opponents, the slide has been dramatic: a 0–3 whitewash by New Zealand final yr, adopted by the 0–2 defeat to South Africa.
India’s away kind has been solely barely higher, highlighted by a 2–2 attract England with a younger Shubman Gill-led squad after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired. However that end result stands as an outlier in a broader sample of inconsistency and confusion.In all, Gambhir’s India have gained solely two of six Take a look at collection, a stark distinction to the soundness and dominance that outlined the earlier decade. With questions now rising louder about choice technique, temperament, and lack of clear imaginative and prescient, Indian Take a look at cricket seems to be coming into one in every of its most unsure phases.
Gambhir Period: The Numbers That Present What’s Fallacious
- India misplaced the house Take a look at collection 0–3 to New Zealand in 2024.
- India misplaced the house Take a look at collection 0–2 to South Africa in 2025.
- India suffered their biggest-ever defeat by runs: 408 runs vs South Africa (2025).
- India’s Take a look at file below Gambhir: 7 wins, 10 losses, 2 attracts.
- India haven’t gained a Take a look at collection vs New Zealand, South Africa, England, or Australia on this interval.
- India misplaced 5 of 9 dwelling Exams below Gambhir.
- India have been whitewashed at dwelling twice inside two years.
- India went over a decade and not using a dwelling collection loss; below Gambhir they misplaced two.
- Seven batters used at No. 3 in 19 Exams.
- Simon Harmer: 17 wickets at 8.94 within the 2025 India collection.
- Marco Jansen: 12 wickets at 10.08 in the identical collection.
- Aiden Markram: 9 catches in a single Take a look at — most ever by a fielder.
- India’s batting common vs SA in 2025: 15.23, second-lowest ever in a Take a look at collection.
- India dropped to fifth within the WTC standings.