Guwahati, Nov 26 (UNI) Under mounting scrutiny after India’s 0–2 series defeat to South Africa, head coach Gautam Gambhir on Wednesday said the responsibility for the setback must be shared by everyone, even as former selector Kris Srikkanth launched a blistering critique of the team’s selection strategy and on-field stability.
Speaking after India’s 408-run loss in the Guwahati Test, Gambhir reiterated that his own position was secondary to the larger interests of Indian cricket.
“It is for the BCCI to decide. I have said this before as well, Indian cricket is important, I am not important. I am the same guy who got results in England, won the Champions Trophy, and the Asia Cup. This is a team which is learning,” he told reporters.
Admitting the defeat reflected collective lapses, Gambhir said India’s collapse from 95 for 1 to 122 for 7 on Day 3 highlighted the need for stronger execution.
“Blame lies with everyone, starts with me,” he said. “From 95/1 to 122/7 is not acceptable. You don’t blame any individual or any particular shot. Blame lies with everyone. I never blamed individuals and won’t do it going forward.”
Gambhir also defended the type of players India needs in the longest format.
“You don’t need the most flamboyant and talented cricketers to play Test cricket. What we need is tough characters with limited skills. They make good Test cricketers,” he said, urging a nationwide reset in prioritising red-ball cricket. “Start prioritising Test cricket, if you are really serious about Test cricket. A collective effort is required. You cannot only blame players or a certain individual.”
Even as Gambhir called for unity and long-term focus, former India captain and ex-chairman of selectors Srikkanth delivered an unsparing assessment of the team’s direction under him.
Srikkanth accused the head coach of “excessive experimentation” and said the constant churn in selections had eroded team stability.
He argued that while Gambhir might describe the changes as “trial and error,” his own experience suggests that consistency is non-negotiable, especially in a side that has now lost nine of its last 18 Tests, including a home whitewash to New Zealand.
Srikkanth criticised the growing tilt towards all-rounders — citing debuts for Harshit Rana and Nitish Reddy, and reduced chances for Sarfaraz Khan, Sai Sudharsan and Kuldeep Yadav.
He also questioned positional switches such as Washington Sundar batting at No. 3 in Kolkata before being pushed lower again.
Srikkanth was particularly scathing about Nitish Reddy’s selection, disputing his credentials as an all-rounder and asking how he could be projected as a replacement for Hardik Pandya.
Though only four players have debuted under Gambhir, he said the broader pattern of rotation had unsettled the team at a time when India were already under pressure — a situation made more acute after the latest defeat in Guwahati, which has put them on the brink of another home whitewash.
