Former cricketers upset over Gambhir’s lack of faith in specialists

Former cricketers are increasingly frustrated with Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir’s reluctance to rely on specialists, especially as India continues to falter on home soil. The era of batters like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Mohammad Azharuddin, and Sourav Ganguly—players known for confidently using their feet against spin—seems long gone. Over the past year, India has squandered its traditional advantage, suffering a whitewash against New Zealand and now losing to Temba Bavuma’s South Africa at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. With the latest 30-run defeat in the Freedom Trophy opener, India now faces the real possibility of dropping another home series.

After the loss, Gambhir strongly defended the Eden Gardens pitch, insisting the curator delivered exactly what the team management requested. India had prepared rank turners against New Zealand last year, where Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel, and Glenn Phillips dominated. Many expected the team to have learned from that experience and opt for balanced, sporting surfaces that offered something for everyone.

Curator Sujan Mukherjee was preparing such a pitch—until four days before the Test, when Gambhir and the management demanded more turn and instructed that the surface not be watered. The result was a track with uneven bounce and little support for batters, ultimately contributing to India’s downfall. Critics argue that India’s current batting lineup is not equipped to handle sharp spin, making the decision baffling and avoidable.

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Domestic veteran Priyank Panchal stressed that good pitches must provide a fair contest and highlighted the fading emphasis on solid defensive skills.

“We need pitches that are fair for all. Pujara also mentioned this, and I agree—he understands these conditions better than anyone. You can’t rely on the pitch; your game must be strong. The grind required of a Test batter is missing, and Bavuma showed the value of that,” Panchal said.

He added that even aggressive play won’t unsettle bowlers without a strong defensive base: “You have to grind. A solid defensive technique keeps you alive in the middle.”

Contrastingly, renowned coach Pravin Amre defended the management’s approach, noting that every team takes advantage of home conditions.

“Every team uses home advantage. When we tour South Africa or Australia, they prepare hard and bouncy tracks because they know we’re not used to them. Traditionally, we’ve always been strong against spin,” Amre explained.

The debate continues, but the latest defeat has intensified scrutiny on India’s pitch strategy and the management’s refusal to adapt.