When Gautam Gambhir stepped in as head coach, expectations were sky-high that Team India would scale new heights. While the team has excelled in white-ball formats—clinching the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year—the same success hasn't translated into the red-ball arena. India's recent performances in Test cricket have been underwhelming, and scrutiny around Gambhir’s leadership in this format is steadily growing.
Following disappointing defeats against both New Zealand and Australia, India kicked off their Test series against England on a shaky note. Led by Shubman Gill, the side suffered a five-wicket loss at Headingley, raising further concerns about the team’s form and direction.
Former cricketer Aakash Chopra has pointed out that Gambhir is under increasing pressure to turn things around. Without some key wins, the criticism and expectations are only likely to intensify.
This series also marks a new era for Indian Test cricket. After the Australia tour, veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their retirement from the longest format. With a fresh-faced squad under Gill's captaincy, the ongoing tour of England was expected to set the tone for the future—but the rocky start has raised more questions than answers.
Chopra said that Shubman Gill cannot be blamed as he has taken over the captaincy recently but Gambhir has to be the one getting questioned.
"This is the principle of Indian cricket, and it is true that if it is good, then everyone is proud of it. But if it is bad, then criticism is absolutely obvious. I will still be more patient with Shubman Gill because he has just become the captain. It will take him some time to understand,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“There is a lot of pressure on Gautam Gambhir. The pressure is absolutely mounting. If you look at his performances in Test cricket and red-ball cricket, you will find that he has not won a lot of matches. He has won 2 matches against Bangladesh and one against Australia. However, we lost three against New Zealand, three against Australia and one against England. He has been losing and losing,” said Chopra.
“His performance in white-ball cricket has been good. The team has been playing well. But in Test cricket, I think the questions are going to be there. And I think there is a lot of pressure on this series. If this series doesn't go well, God forbid, I hope it goes well. I really want Indian cricket to do well. But if the England series doesn't go too well, then there will be a question mark,” said Chopra.
“Where are they going and what are they doing? Because the selectors feel that whatever team management is asking for, it is being given. The type of player you want, the number of players you want, and the player you are pointing at are being given. So, if this is the case, then you also need to deliver the results. Period. There is no excuse,” he added.
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