It’s been nearly a year since Gautam Gambhir took over the job of head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team. Gambhir officially took over the reins from outgoing coach Rahul Dravid on July 9, Gambhir’s entry was backed by both pedigree and promise. However, the questions have started to be raised as Team India has blown hot and cold under his tenure.
Despite the mixed performance, Gambhir's tenure is likely to continue with BCCI officials playing down sacking rumours. Speaking to InsideSport he said,"At the moment, Gambhir is doing a good job with a young team. In transition, you do not always get the intended results. Australia and England both struggled during their transitions."
He added, "So, it’s premature to take a call on Gambhir. We still have four Test matches in England, and we are hopeful that we can turn things around. Beyond that, we will see. He (Gambhir) has full trust of the board,".
How has India performed under Gautam Gambhir's tenure?
On paper, Gambhir has delivered a major trophy already India clinched the ICC Champions Trophy in March. But in the longest format of the game, has not been so reassuring. India has played 11 Test matches under Gambhir, winning just three two against Bangladesh and one against Australia. Now trailing 0-1 in the ongoing series against England, the Test team's form has been far from convincing.
This underwhelming performance has reignited talks of a possible split in the coaching structure perhaps with Gambhir focusing solely on white-ball formats, and someone like VVS Laxman taking charge of the red-ball team. Yet, the BCCI appears resistant to that idea.
Looking ahead, Gambhir faces a packed and critical calendar. After the England tour, India will host the West Indies and South Africa, before heading to New Zealand for a tough away Test series assignments that will truly measure Gambhir’s impact and leadership
