Ravi Shastri indirectly calls Gautam Gambhir a COWARD, demands him to be even more ruthless on Indian players

Former Indian all-rounder Ravi Shastri criticised the players and head coach Gautam Gambhir following the whitewash in the recent Test series against South Africa. The cricketer-turned-commentator said that the head coach is fully responsible for the results, as he himself would have been in the same situation.

Gautam Gambhir has been under criticism after the Shubman Gill-led team was beaten 0-2 by South Africa. Notably, it was their second Test series whitewash at home in the last 13 months. The Men in Blue had suffered a 3-0 loss to New Zealand, which had already raised questions about the team’s direction.

The blame has also been directed at the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee. Critics feel the management has been inconsistent in backing players and has focused too heavily on all-rounders instead of proven red-ball specialists.

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The Team Is Not That Bad; They Have Enough Talent - Ravi Shastri

India’s heavy defeat to South Africa in the second Test in Guwahati triggered strong criticism, with many pointing fingers at Gautam Gambhir. The team’s batting collapse came under scrutiny.

Ravi Shastri said that the players must take responsibility for the poor show, especially the first-innings collapse, where India went from 100 for 1 to 130 for 7 before being bowled out for 201 in reply to South Africa’s 489.

“You tell me. What happened in Guwahati – from 100/1, you skip to 130/7 – this team is not that bad either. The team is not that bad; they have enough talent. Therefore, this is where the responsibility must also be taken by the players. You have played spin since childhood,” Shastri said in a teaser podcast released by Prabhat Khabar.

Main Pehla Responsibility Leta - Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri was asked whether he was defending Gautam Gambhir after India’s Test losses. Shastri made it clear that he was not trying to protect Gambhir. He admitted that the head coach must also take responsibility for the team’s performance.

“I’m not protecting [him]. 100 per cent (he is responsible too). When am I saying anything otherwise? Agar yeh mere saath hota, main pehla responsibility leta (Had this happened with me, I would have been the first one to take responsibility. But then, I wouldn’t have spared the players either in the team meeting)," Shastri said.

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Gautam Gambhir’s Tenure Marked by Success and Setbacks for Team India

Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as India’s head coach has seen both success and setbacks. In just a year and a half, India have won the 2025 Champions Trophy and the 2025 Asia Cup, lifting both titles without losing a single match.

However, India’s Test performances have dropped sharply during the same period. The team has suffered home whitewashes against New Zealand and South Africa and also lost a Test series in Australia, raising major concerns about their red-ball direction.

Between 2017 and 2021, when Ravi Shastri coached and Virat Kohli captained, India became one of the most dominant Test teams in the world. They won two historic series in Australia, stayed No. 1 in Tests for 42 months, and reached the first-ever World Test Championship final.

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