From Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli exit to Oval losses: Is India’s red-ball slide a Gautam Gambhir gamble gone wrong?

Team India is on the verge of another Test series defeat, this time at the hands of a rampaging England side executing their ‘Bazball’ strategy to perfection. On Day 4 of the final Test at The Oval, Joe Root stood firm on 98* alongside Jacob Bethell, guiding England within 57 runs of the 374-run target. 

Earlier, Harry Brook dazzled with a blistering 111 off 98 balls, pushing India further on the back foot. England looks poised to seal the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy with a convincing 3-1 margin.

Gambhir’s Test Record Under Scrutiny

This looming defeat has intensified scrutiny on head coach Gautam Gambhir, whose stint with the Indian Test team has been marred by inconsistency. Since his appointment, India suffered a historic ODI series loss to Sri Lanka after 27 years and were whitewashed 3-0 in New Zealand—crushing their hopes for a World Test Championship 2024–25 final spot. A similar collapse followed in Australia, where India, despite winning the first Test at Perth, went on to lose the series 3-1.

The Kohli-Rohit Exit Factor

Adding fuel to the fire are the recent retirements of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from Test cricket. According to BCCI sources, Gambhir was a vocal proponent of phasing out veterans in favor of fresh faces to reshape the team for the 2025–2027 WTC cycle. His approach, aimed at dismantling cricket’s "celebrity culture," has not yielded the results the board hoped for yet.

All Eyes on BCCI’s Next Move

With India's comeback chances nearly extinguished at The Oval, all attention now shifts to how the BCCI responds to the mounting pressure on Gambhir’s coaching tenure. Will they back his long-term vision—or ring in changes before it's too late?