Gambhir Era Sparks White-Ball Glory but Red-Ball Collapse for Team India

The Indian batsmen are continuing to disappoint in the ongoing Test series between India and South Africa. With the loss of the first match in the series, India has been on the brink of defeat in the second match as well. Since Gautam Gambhir took over as head coach of Team India in July 2024, it has gone from strength to strength, especially in the shorter formats of the game - Champions Trophy and Asia Cup. But the steadily declining performance in the Test format is an ominous cause for concern.

India has performed poorly in Test under Gambhir's tenure as captain. The nation had already suffered a clean sweep in New Zealand's home soil, and the same threat now looms over South Africa.

For the first time in 24 years, India suffered a clean sweep at home during New Zealand's tour of India. New Zealand defeated them 3-0 in the series. The previous Indian team had lost 2-0 to South Africa in 1999. India lost a Test match at home after 12 years. It also marked the first time India lost a Test match to New Zealand at home after 36 years. This series marked the first time India had scored less than 50 runs at home.

Australia defeated India 3-1 in the 2024-25 Gavaskar-Border-Gavaskar Trophy. This series defeat ended India's dominance of the previous 10 years and raised questions about India's performance in red-ball cricket. India's defeats in these series against New Zealand and Australia prevented them from reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final for the first time.

In the first Test against South Africa, India lost by 30 runs while chasing 124. This defeat made India the first team in the 21st century to lose twice while chasing a target of less than 150. India, unbeaten at home for 12 years, collapsed as soon as Gambhir took over as coach.