Gautam Gambhir’s coaching style questioned by Dinesh Karthik ahead of England Tests

Former Team India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik made a huge statement on head coach Gautam Gambhir ahead of the highly anticipated five-match Test series against England. The former cricketer stated that Gambhir is tactically "very good," but man management is the real challenge.

Gautam Gambhir has made an impact in limited-overs cricket as India’s head coach, but the Test arena is still a work in progress. He began his red-ball tenure with a win over Bangladesh, but they struggled in subsequent series against New Zealand and Australia, failing to advance to the WTC final for the first time.

India to Face England in Five-Match Test Series From June 20

India endured a difficult period in Test cricket, beginning with a historic 3-0 whitewash at home against New Zealand. They failed to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia for the first time in ten years and narrowly missed out on qualifying for the World Test Championship final.

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There were rumours of internal discord between players and the coaching staff within the camp. As Indian cricket enters a new phase under Gautam Gambhir’s leadership, the former opener has a chance to change the team’s fortunes.

India will take on England in a five-match Test series starting on June 20 at Headingley. Young opener Shubman Gill has been appointed captain ahead of the new WTC cycle.

Gautam Gambhir Is a Very Good Coach - Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik shared his views on Gautam Gambhir’s coaching style ahead of the Test series. Karthik said that Gambhir needs to adjust his aggressive mindset to better handle different players in the squad.

"Tactically, Gauti (Gautam Gambhir) is a very good coach. Man management is the area that I am sure he would be looking at. But one thing about him is that he is looking out for his players which is massive," Karthik said on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.

"What I feel at times is that the way he is aggressive as a captain, you can't be as a coach. You are managing different individuals. Once you let them out in the park, you trust them to do the job. That is the challenge," he added.

India Begin New Era Without Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

India are without senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who retired from the format in May 2025. Shubman Gill will lead the side as captain, with Rishabh Pant named vice-captain.

India's previous Test tour of England, in 2021–22, ended in a 2–2 draw after the hosts won the final match. The two sides last faced off in a Test series in India early last year, where the hosts dominated with a 4–1 win.

Gautam Gambhir recently returned to India following his mother's reported heart attack. He is expected to rejoin the squad on Tuesday, June 17. He missed the intra-squad practice match due to the emergency.

The warm-up game between India and India A, held at Kent County Cricket Ground, was called off midway through Day 3 on June 15 by the team management.

Also read: ICC starts Test cricket revolution with 4-day matches, but not for India, England, Australia