Ravi Shastri drops guard, refuses to back Gautam Gambhir after Test series loss vs SA

Ravi Shastri breaks his silence on Gautam Gambhir, making it clear he won’t defend or protect the former opener amid rising scrutiny and public debate.

Gautam Gambhir (Image | BCCI on X)

India's head coach Gautam Gambhir is under scrutiny after the team's home Test series loss against South Africa earlier this month. While some former players have supported the head coach, Ravi Shastri, India's former head coach, had a different opinion.

While talking about the performance of the team, Shastri held the players as well as the coach accountable for the series loss. He openly said that he wasn't supporting Gambhir as he should have taken the responsibility for the loss like Shastri did back in the days.

"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 of a podcast released by Prabhat Khabar.

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"When asked if he is protecting the India head coach Gautam Gambhir, Shastri denied it. "I'm not protecting [him]. 100 per cent (he is responsible too). If this had happened when I was the coach, I would have taken the first responsibility; I, the coach, would have taken it. But I would not have spared the players inside the team meeting," he said.

Even after two Test series losses at home, head coach Gautam Gambhir hasn't had a single meeting with the BCCI selectors. Moreover, BCCI officials have revealed that they stand with Gambhir and since the team is in transition, they will require some time to adjust. Well, this didn't sit well with the fans and an online outrage against Gambhir flooded the social media.

As the WTC 2025-27 cycle just started and India had a chance to win the home series to improve their PCT, the loss pushed them down in the points table. From now, the journey will be tougher and one more series loss will eliminate India from the WTC cycle. Hence, the board should hold Gambhir accountable for the losses and hold a meeting to discuss where things are going wrong for the team.

How to watch India vs South Africa, ODI series?

Cricket fans in India can watch the India vs South Africa, ODI series from November 30 on JioHotstar, via OTTplay Premium.

Read Also: India vs South Africa ODIs: When and where to watch in India? How to watch Rohit-Kohli in action?

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