India’s unexpected 2-0 home series loss to South Africa has sparked intense scrutiny, but head coach Gautam Gambhir has urged patience. Following the defeat, Gambhir insisted that the team is undergoing a rare and challenging dual transition—in both batting and bowling—something he believes Indian cricket has never faced before.
India have bid farewell to stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin through retirement over the last 18 months. At the same time, the management has moved past long-serving names like Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Umesh Yadav. Despite these exits, India’s current setup still contains proven performers: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, all of whom featured in the South Africa series.
Gambhir, however, maintained that the group lacks the experience required to deliver consistent results. He stressed that even though many players have been part of the setup for years, transitioning from legends to the next generation naturally takes time.
India’s Unprecedented Dual Transition
Gambhir explained that in previous cycles, India usually transitioned in either the batting or the bowling department—but never both at the same time. This, he believes, is what makes the current phase particularly tough.
“It’s tough, you lose so many experienced players at the same time. That’s why it’s called a transition,” he said. “I don’t think ever in Indian cricket something like this has happened, where the transition is happening in both the spin-bowling department and the batting department.”
He argued that the team possesses the skill and talent, but consistency will only come with time and more match exposure.
Washington Sundar in the Spotlight
Gambhir also addressed criticism surrounding Washington Sundar, who managed just one wicket at an average of 128 in the series and bowled only a single over in the first Test. He called it unfair to expect Sundar to match Ashwin’s impact so early in his career.
“If you expect Washi to deliver straight away what Ashwin did, it’s unfair on that young kid,” Gambhir said. “He’s 10–12 Tests old, he’s learning his trade, learning to bowl in different conditions and situations.”
As India rebuilds after the departure of multiple giants, Gambhir urged fans and media to show patience, asserting that the team has what it takes to return to dominating form—once experience catches up with talent.
