Gambhir and Team India are lost in transition

It's impolite to remind India coach Gautam Gambhir of a comment made many years ago but still.

- Sharda Ugra

. . This was in Adelaide 2012, he was part of the Indian team that had just ended with its second 0-4 series result, following 0-4 in England in 2011.Gambhir said, “Once these people come to India, we should not be hesitant in making turners, and that’s where we would get to know whether they are mentally strong...”

Thirteen years later, two lots of ‘these people’ — New Zealand and South Africa in a little over year — have come to India, showed their mental strength, tactical nous and given Gambhir’s squad successive pastings at home. Of the kind not experienced in decades.

New Zealand's October 2024 double-whammy was a first Test win in India since 1988 and their first-ever series victory in India having started in 1964. For South Africa, a series win in India in a quarter of a century and dishing out India’s worst defeat (by runs) in Tests anywhere.

Gambhir must find this absolute collapsed souffle of a second home series blank out quite bewildering,

Especially as it follows the stirring five Tests series in England less than four months ago, in which India scored their narrowest Test victory to secure a 2-2 draw.

That led us all, in a state of ecstatic delusion, to believe that not only had India secured their Test future in the post Rohit-Kohli era, but indeed saved Test cricket itself.

After India drew the fourth Test in Manchester, and so could go to The Oval with the possibility of levelling the series, Gambir issued one of his polemic don't believe in transition, this is the best 18. Just a little bit of inexperience.” Later after his team drew the series, an X post... “We'll win some, we'll lose some. but we'll NEVER surrender!”