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Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has questioned Gautam Gambhir’s coaching style, saying India have struggled to maintain consistency across formats under the current head coach. Watson believes that frequent changes in the playing XI and batting order have made it difficult for the Men in Blue to find the right balance.
Gambhir took charge of the India national cricket team in mid-2024 and has already guided the side to massive white-ball success, including the ICC Champions Trophy and T20 World Cup titles. However, India’s poor results in Test cricket at home and some disappointing performances in the ODI cricket have raised questions on Gambhir’s coaching methods. Amid this, Imran Tahir predicts 2027 ICC ODI World Cup Semi-Finalists, snubs India for title.
Shane Watson blames Gautam Gambhir’s constant experiments for India's inconsistency
Shane Watson feels India needs more stability if they want to become a dominant force in world cricket. The former Australian all-rounder believes that constant changes in the batting order and playing XI are among the main reasons behind India’s inconsistent performances.
He feels regular experiments can disturb the team’s balance and make it harder for the players to settle into their roles. Shane Watson said on Prime Video’s YouTube channel, "The thing that you continue to see and the reason India has been inconsistent under Gambhir is the chopping and changing around the batting order all the time.”
The former Australian star added, “Players are coming in and out always, and when the team is unsettled, be it the batting order or players coming in and out, that just makes it more difficult for the team to be consistent. That’s why India has been so inconsistent.”
Shane Watson reveals Gautam Gambhir’s biggest positive
Despite criticizing the frequent changes, Shane Watson praised Gautam Gambhir for showing faith in players and giving them opportunities to prove themselves. He highlighted wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson as an example of how backing a player can bring positive results.
Samson repaid the Indian team management’s trust with impressive performances during the knockout stage of the T20 World Cup this year. Watson admitted that Gambhir has brought several positive things to the Indian setup, but he feels India still needs continuity.
Watson shared, “There are a lot of incredible things that Gambhir has brought to the Indian setup. There is no question about that. With the backing of players like Sanju Samson, Gambhir has done wonders for Samson. Samson repaid him and did some amazing things in the backend of the T20 World Cup. So, there are a lot of great things Gambhir has brought.”
Gautam Gambhir told to stop frequent changes
The cricket pandit urged Gambhir to stop making so many changes, as India has the potential to become an almost undefeatable side across the formats if the head coach maintains consistency. Earlier, Abhishek Sharma reveals what he wants to steal from Virat Kohli ahead of Ranchi T20I vs WI.
Watson signed off by saying, “My belief is there is too much chopping and changing around the players under Gambhir. There needs to be a little more continuity there, and for world cricket, if they do that, they are going to be ridiculously hard to beat.”
