Former India star urges BCCI to sack Gambhir to save India’s Test Cricket

India’s once-invincible home Test dominance has shattered again, and this time, the pressure on head coach Gautam Gambhir is fiercer than ever. Teams from SENA nations that traditionally struggled in Indian conditions are now winning comfortably. The recent 0-2 home series defeat to South Africa—India’s second home whitewash in just 13 months—has amplified concerns surrounding Gambhir’s Test leadership.

The stats paint a bleak picture: under Gambhir, India has lost five of their last seven home Tests, something unimaginable not long ago. The 408-run hammering in the final Test in Guwahati only added to the criticism. Although Gambhir defended his tenure by highlighting India’s ICC Champions Trophy and Asia Cup wins, along with a drawn series in England, many believe these achievements don’t mask the widening cracks in the Test format.

Amid this turbulence, former India cricketer and politician Manoj Tiwary issued one of the strongest public criticisms yet. He outright called on BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia to reconsider Gambhir’s position and rethink the coaching structure for red-ball cricket.

Tiwary blamed India’s slump on constant selection changes, inconsistent planning, and a lack of a solid long-term process under Gambhir’s leadership. In a recent interaction, he said, “To be honest, the writing was on the wall. Things were not going well; the process they want to follow is not the right strategy or plan. There was a lot of chopping and changing… in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the home series against New Zealand, and now against South Africa.”

He strongly advocated for a separate coach for Test cricket, insisting it is crucial to safeguard India’s declining red-ball standards. “Absolutely. There is no question about it. It’s high time they take this decision to save Indian Test cricket,” he added.

Tiwary also downplayed the significance of the drawn England series, arguing that India escaped only because England collapsed on the final day, despite fielding the stronger side. He maintained that Gambhir has no major Test accomplishment to his name so far.

Referring to Gambhir’s claims about winning the Champions Trophy and Asia Cup, Tiwary asserted that credit for those triumphs should go to Rohit Sharma, Rahul Dravid, and previously, Virat Kohli. “This team was built by Rohit Sharma, Rahul Dravid, and, before that, Virat Kohli. Even without Gambhir, India would have won because the team was already ready,” he said.

Expressing further concern over Gambhir’s limited red-ball coaching experience, Tiwary concluded, “It is very unfortunate to see a white-ball mentor leading India as head coach. If you don’t have experience at the ground level, how do you expect to deliver at the top level? It is next to impossible.”