Gautam Gambhir Defends Team India Amid Criticism After ODI Series Victory

In the wake of India's ODI series victory against South Africa, head coach Gautam Gambhir has voiced his frustration over media criticism and the absence of captain Shubman Gill during the preceding Test series. Gambhir emphasized the impact of Gill's injury on the team's performance and criticized calls for split coaching in cricket. He highlighted the importance of acknowledging key player absences and maintaining respect within the cricketing community. The article also covers the details of the ODI match, where India successfully chased down South Africa's total, showcasing strong performances from Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 7, 2025, 02:15 IST

Gambhir Responds to Critics Following ODI Triumph

Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) - Following India's recent ODI series victory over South Africa, head coach Gautam Gambhir expressed strong disapproval of critics advocating for separate coaching for red-ball and white-ball formats. He also criticized the media for failing to highlight the absence of in-form captain Shubman Gill during India's 0-2 Test series defeat against South Africa prior to the ODI matches.

Before the stellar performances of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the ODIs, the Indian cricket community was reminded of the team's declining Test performance at home. After suffering a 0-3 defeat to New Zealand last year, which marked their first home Test series loss in over a decade, the recent whitewash by the Proteas felt like a painful repeat.

In the first Test held in Kolkata, India struggled to chase a modest target of 124 runs, missing Gill, who sustained a neck injury just four balls into his innings. The second Test in Guwahati saw India outperformed in all aspects, leading to a staggering 408-run defeat, marking one of the lowest points in Indian cricket history.

During the post-match press conference, Gambhir criticized the media for not acknowledging Gill's absence in both Tests. He emphasized that Gill, who had recently scored 754 runs in a series in England, would have provided crucial experience and stability to the batting lineup.

"There was a lot of discussion, but surprisingly, not once did any media outlet mention that our captain was absent from the first Test, which was decided by just 30 runs. Just because I don’t make excuses in press conferences doesn’t mean the facts should be ignored," he stated.

"When undergoing a transition, losing your captain, who is also your leading red-ball batter with nearly 1,000 runs in the last seven Tests, makes it challenging to achieve favorable results against a strong team. It’s surprising that this wasn’t discussed at all."

Gambhir also expressed frustration over comments made by individuals outside the cricketing domain, including an IPL team owner who suggested the need for split coaching. He stressed the importance of respecting each other's areas of expertise.

The IPL team owner Gambhir referred to is believed to be Parth Jindal of the Delhi Capitals, who tweeted after the series loss that India requires a "specialist red-ball cricket coach."

https://x.com/ParthJindal11/status/1993614055702180092

In the ODI match, India won the toss and opted to field first. The Proteas lost Ryan Rickelton for a duck, but a significant partnership of 113 runs between Quinton de Kock (106 off 89 balls) and captain Temba Bavuma (48 off 67 balls) helped stabilize their innings.

De Kock also shared a 54-run partnership with Matthew Breetzke (24 off 23 balls), but the team faltered, losing five wickets for 199 runs. Prasidh Krishna's impressive bowling (4/66) created chaos, while Kuldeep Yadav's spell (4/41) ultimately led to South Africa being bowled out for 270 in 47.5 overs.

India successfully chased the target in 39.5 overs, with Rohit Sharma scoring 75 runs and forming a 155-run partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal, who achieved his maiden ODI century with an unbeaten 116 runs. Virat Kohli also contributed with a solid 65 runs, concluding the series on a high note.