Gautam Gambhir blatantly blames transition for India’s Test series loss to South Africa at home

India National Cricket Team head coach Gautam Gambhir faced some of the toughest questions of his career on Wednesday (November 26) after the hosts were whitewashed by South Africa in a two-match Test series at home.

South Africa clean-swept the series 2-0 with a massive 408-run win over India in the second and final Test in Guwahati after 25 years. Following the embarrassing whitewash by the Proteas side, Gambhir said that the Indian cricket team would not give excuses for the defeat because the responsibility belongs to everyone, including himself.

Gautam Gambhir under fire after India suffer historic 2–0 home whitewash

But he also explained that this Indian side is going through a major transition phase; many players are still learning, and they need more time to show their true potential. India’s defeat was historic for all the wrong reasons.

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They lost the second Test by a massive 408 runs—their biggest defeat in Test cricket in terms of runs. They also lost a home Test series for the first time in 25 years. This was their second whitewash in 13 months and their fifth Test loss in seven months under Gambhir.

While chasing 549 runs, India barely put up a fight. Marco Jansen destroyed the middle order, and Simon Harmer made life difficult for Indian batters who looked short on technique, preparation, and confidence.

From 95/1 to 120/7, it’s not acceptable: Gautam Gambhir

India actually started well at 95 for 1, but things fell apart shockingly. The team collapsed to 120 for 7, something fans have seen multiple times recently.

Gautam Gambhir said at the post-match press conference, “Again, the buck should stop with everyone, as simple as that, because yes, we need to apply better. At one stage, we were 95 for 1. I’m sure you guys must be watching the game. From 95 for 1 to 120 for 7, it’s not acceptable.

We keep talking about that spell, but then one seamer got four wickets in that spell. And we’ve had these collapses in the past as well. Someone needs to put their hand up and say that I’m going to stop this—stop this, whatever you call it, the collapse.”

Gautam Gambhir rejects blame game, insists Indian team must improve together

However, Gautam Gambhir stressed that everyone in the team needs to take responsibility and perform better if they want to win against strong Test teams. The Indian head coach also said that it cannot be about blaming one player or one bad shot—the whole team must step up.

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The coach further explained, “I expect better from everyone. I expect better from myself than everyone in that room. I’m not going to sit here and say I expect something better from one individual. If you want to win Test matches against quality sides, you need to expect better from everyone. That’s how you win tests. You don’t blame one individual shot or one individual for playing in a certain way. You blame everyone."

Gautam Gambhir calls India’s Test struggles a true transition phase

At the end, Gambhir pointed out that the current Indian Test team is filled with young batters who have played fewer than 15–20 Test matches, and they are still gaining experience and will improve with time. The Indian head coach believes that with patience, learning, and consistent effort, this group will slowly develop into a stronger Test unit again.

He signed off by saying, “I hate using this word—transition—but this is exactly what transition is. When your batting lineup has played fewer than 15–20 Test matches, they need time. Hopefully, they keep learning.”