Argus News - Gautam Gambhir to be Sacked! Formers Slam Team Tactics, Combination and Test Selection Criteria

Bhubaneswar, Nov 26: The humiliating whitewash in the two-Test series against South Africa put Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir in a spot of bother. Not only Gambhir, but the selection committee is also in the firing line over their decision-making while selecting Indian Test team.

India suffered a big plunge in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 standings following a 2-0 series whitewash against South Africa at home after losing the Guwahati Test by 408-run, Wednesday.

The last time India lost two Test series at home across two consecutive years was over four decades ago; against the West Indies (1983) and England (1984/85).

Also read: Fortress Not Anymore! Simon Harmer Spell Helps SA Seal First Test Series Win in India Since 2000

South Africa wrapped up a memorable Test tour of India securing only their second-ever Test series triumph on Indian soil, the first since the landmark win in 2000.

The margin of defeat was sobering for the hosts. India’s 408-run loss stands as the heaviest in their Test history, eclipsing their previous biggest margin of 342-run defeat against Australia in 2004 Nagpur Test.

The WTC standings also take a sharp turn as the reigning champions, with 36 points from four matches, climbed to a 75 points percentage, strengthening their hold on second place behind Australia. India, in contrast, slipped to fifth position, overtaken by Pakistan, and their PCT dropped to 48.15.

What the formers say?

Former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad expressed his disappointment on social media, highlighting the team management’s “all-rounder obsession” and Test selection criteria. "Really disappointed by how India is going about Test cricket. The all-rounder obsession is absolute brain-fade especially when you don’t bowl them. Rank Poor tactics, poor skills, poor body language and an unprecedented 2-0 series whitewash at home. Hope this does not get washed off with Test matches 9 months away and this negative approach changes," Prasad shared on X.

Prasad stressed that while IPL performances can influence limited-overs selections, Test cricket requires consistent output in tournaments like the Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy. "Need to play specialists and players need to be picked on the basis of Ranji, Duleep Trophy in domestic cricket,” his post reads.

“Can pick in 50 overs based on IPL performance, but for Test cricket, Ranji and Duleep trophy have to be the barometer. Yash Rathod, Shubham Sharma, Baba Indrajith , Smaran Ravichandran are names most wouldn’t have heard off as they don’t play IPL but consistently scoring runs in domestic cricket,” he wrote, adding: "Can’t play sub 40 FC avg players in the Test team based on IPL performances. Playing all-rounder in Indian conditions because he can bat is not the correct approach in Test cricket.”

“Test Cricket needs specialists. We all love Indian cricket and it’s sad to see what’s happening over the last year and a half just to somehow prove this flawed strategy right. Can’t function on such egos in the interest of Indian cricket, Truly disappointing," Prasad added further.

Former India captain and coach Anil Kumble said the team’s recent setbacks point to deeper concerns within the Test team. “The results, especially today’s defeat, reflect broader issues beyond just outcomes. What’s needed is a different mindset for Test cricket; constant changes to the playing XI, batting orders, and frequent rotations prevent stability. While injuries and form dips are understandable, India must take time to deeply reflect,” said Kumble.

Kumble felt now is the time to review the defeats and set the roadmap for improving as a Test side. “With the next Test (vs Sri Lanka) only in August 2026, there is room for thoughtful discussion on the future direction of Indian Test cricket. The retirement of several key stalwarts in recent months has created a vacuum that requires clear vision and structured planning.

“The team needs a strong core of experienced players to support and nurture emerging talent. Introducing too many inexperienced players simultaneously without a solid foundation won’t work. A robust line-up with mostly seasoned players, complemented by one or two newcomers, is essential for sustained success.”

Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan, on the other hand, said, "Disappointing display of patience & technique from Indian batters. Need to get players in the test team who can play spin better."

Stand-in Skipper Rishabh Pant Reacts

Terming the loss “little disappointing”, Pant said: “As a team we need to get batter. Credit to the opposition for playing better than us. They dominated the series but at the time you can't take cricket for granted. We're playing at home and sometimes we were up in the game but we didn't capitalise on them.”

“We have to learn and get better — whether you're playing at home or away cricket which demands that determination and the extra effort. They played better cricket and demands that you need to capitalise as a team and we did not do that and that cost us the whole series,” Pant admitted.