"Don't judge his acumen or his commitment" - Former Indian selector defends head coach Gautam Gambhir after home Test series whitewash to NZ

Former Indian selector Sunil Joshi defended head coach Gautam Gambhir by calling on fans and experts not to judge him after only a handful of games. Gambhir took over as Team India's head coach at the end of July and has experienced a rough start to his tenure.

The side lost 0-2 in the ODI series in Sri Lanka, followed by the incomprehensible 0-3 home Test series whitewash in the recently concluded series against New Zealand. The result broke India's almost 12-year unbeaten home streak in Tests and saw them suffering a whitewash for the first time in a home Test series since 2000.

Yet, in an interview with TOI, Joshi feels Gambhir is being judged harshly way too early into his stint.

"Knowing Gautam Gambhir, he is a fighting cricketer and we know his commitment towards the game or towards the team. No coach will ever want to be on the wrong side of a result. We need to give him time. Let's now judge by the two series we have seen, just five Test matches. Of course, on home soil, we have lost. I am sure he will also be disappointed with the way the Test matches have gone, but don't judge his acumen or his commitment," he said.

Joshi added:

"He is a fighter and he will come out successful. I know that. We have to give time to them (Gambhir and his coaching staff) to settle down. After two years, the results will be in front of us. Then we can judge."

It hasn't been only doom for India under Gambhir as the side also defeated Sri Lanka 3-0 in an away T20I series and crushed Bangladesh 2-0 in the home Test series before the New Zealand debacle.

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"Take one Test match at a time and focus on the process part more than the results part" - Sunil Joshi on 2024-25 BGT

Sunil Joshi acknowledged that Team India would be under pressure as the visiting team in Australia but feels focussing on the process over the result would serve them better in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

India will take on Australia down under in five much-anticipated Tests, starting in Perth on November 22.

"We won the last two series in Australia. That is something we need to factor, but do not underestimate Australia because we won the last two series. Winning is not impossible, it's quite possible. We do have the bowling options and batsmen who can score runs. Take one Test match at a time and focus on the process part more than the results part," said Joshi.

He concluded:

"The Australians know that India has lost a Test series 3-nil. The pressure is always more on the visiting team. So we need to be prepared to play absolute hard cricket."

India won the last two Test series in Australia by 2-1 scorelines in 2018-19 and 2020-21, while also winning the last four Test series between the teams overall.