India paying for Gautam Gambhir’s decisions?:Thin batting, misfiring all-rounders raise questions; experts want Test coaching change

India are now on the verge of a big defeat in the Guwahati Test against South Africa. After losing the first Test in Kolkata, India are trailing in the second match as well. If South Africa manage to win this Test, they will clean sweep the series 2-0. This will be a historic moment, but not for the right reasons. Under Gautam Gambhir’s coaching, India could be whitewashed at home for the second time in just 13 months. Earlier in 2024, New Zealand had defeated India 3-0. With India struggling badly in Test cricket, Gambhir is facing strong criticism from former cricketers and selectors. Former Indian fast bowler Atul Wassan has openly said that Gambhir should be removed from the Test team’s coaching role and Rahul Dravid should return. Former selector Saba Karim also criticised the team, saying that India has forgotten how to play Test cricket. The situation has raised serious questions about Gambhir’s decisions and strategy. India have reached a worrying stage in Test cricket. Poor team planning, unstable batting order, weak spin attack and ineffective all-rounders are hurting their performance. If changes are not made soon, the future of Indian Test cricket could be in danger. The next few months will decide whether Gambhir can turn things around or if bigger decisions await. So what exactly is going wrong? Here are four big mistakes that experts believe Gambhir is making in Test cricket. Gambhir’s 4 Major Mistakes in Tests Mistake 1: Only 3 specialist batters Under Gambhir’s leadership, Team India has increased its dependence on all-rounders in both white-ball and red-ball formats. This has reduced the number of specialist batters in the playing XI. In the series against South Africa, India played only three specialist batsmen in both matches. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul played both Tests, while Shubman Gill played the first and Sai Sudharsan played the second. In the first Test, these three batters failed on the spin-friendly pitch. But in the first innings of the Guwahati Test, they together scored 95 runs. However, the middle order collapsed badly. Batters from numbers 4 to 7 contributed only 23 runs combined. Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel lost their wickets playing risky shots, which are unnecessary in Test cricket. With so few specialist batters, India could not build a strong total. Mistake 2: Too much experimentation in the batting order India’s number 3 position has become unstable under Gambhir. In the first Test, Washington Sundar batted at number 3, while Sai Sudharsan was given the same slot in the second. Karun Nair also tried the role earlier, but no one has been given consistent backing. India did not face such a problem for years. First, Rahul Dravid and later Cheteshwar Pujara held this position solidly, saving India many times. There is also confusion regarding number 5, where Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja have all been tested. Earlier, this position was strong with VVS Laxman and Ajinkya Rahane. Constant experimentation has destroyed the stability needed in Test cricket. Mistake 3: Lack of a strike finger spinner India is missing a strong wicket-taking finger spinner. From 2013 to 2023, the partnership of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja dominated world cricket. After the New Zealand series in 2024, Ashwin retired as India’s second-highest wicket-taker. Since then, there is no bowler who can play Ashwin’s role. Washington Sundar was preferred over Ashwin during the Australia tour, but he could not continue his performance. Jadeja is now handling spin alone, and captains are not using him as effectively as MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli once did. Sundar and Axar Patel are good all-rounders but not threatening enough to take wickets. Meanwhile, domestic talents like Sai Kishore, Saransh Jain and Saurabh Kumar are waiting on the sidelines. Mistake 4: All-rounders not delivering for the side Team India is heavily dependent on Sundar, Axar, Jadeja and Nitish Reddy. In several matches, three of these players are in the playing XI. However, the results have been disappointing. Sundar and Axar contribute with the bat but fail to take wickets as Test off-spinners. Jadeja is picking wickets, but his batting form has dropped in Asian conditions. Nitish Reddy’s inclusion has also raised questions. He is neither scoring runs nor bowling effectively, and he hardly gets bowling chances. India could benefit more by replacing him with a specialist batter.