Sunil Gavaskar has expressed the need for scrutiny regarding head coach Gautam Gambhir and his support team following India's 1-3 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. Since assuming the role from Rahul Dravid, Gambhir's tenure has not commenced favorably.

Gambhir appointed Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate as assistant coaches, along with Morne Morkel as the bowling coach. Nevertheless, both fans and cricket analysts are now raising concerns about their effectiveness.

During Gambhir's leadership, India initially faced a loss in the ODI series against Sri Lanka, followed by consecutive Test series defeats against New Zealand and Australia. The series whitewash against New Zealand in November 2024 was particularly shocking.

"I am uncertain about the merit of having various coaches. That is a matter to be considered in a different context, not at this moment. However, it is imperative to question him (Gambhir) and his coaching staff. What actions were they undertaking that led to this continuous pattern of losses?" Gavaskar remarked to India Today.

"Because we have experienced defeats in situations where we should have prevailed, particularly in India against New Zealand. The batting performance there was quite subpar. The batting here has also been rather disappointing. Therefore, I firmly believe that inquiries need to be made regarding this," he further stated.

‘Why plans were not executed?’

Gavaskar raised concerns about Morne Morkel's involvement in the inadequate strategy employed against Travis Head and Pat Cummins. He noted that short deliveries were not directed at these two batsmen, despite widespread calls for the Indian team to adopt this approach.

"Our bowling performance could have been improved. We had only two bowlers available. Yet, there were numerous discussions, not only among us but also among the Australians, regarding the types of deliveries that should be bowled to Travis Head and Pat Cummins. Unfortunately, none of those strategies were implemented. Consequently, one must inquire with the bowling coach about the rationale behind this," Gavaskar stated.

"If the bowling coach claims he advised the bowlers to execute these strategies, yet they failed to do so, then the bowlers must be held accountable. Why were short balls not attempted against Head? Why was the same not done for Pat Cummins? Numerous questions arise from this situation," he continued.

Following the six-wicket defeat in Sydney, Gambhir expressed his desire for every player to participate in domestic cricket. However, Gavaskar believes that only time will reveal the management's commitment to domestic cricket.

"We will soon determine whether this is merely superficial. There is domestic cricket scheduled in the next 15 days. We will see if the coach's intentions are realized and how the players respond. Some players may feel secure in their positions, believing they cannot be replaced regardless of their performance. We shall observe whether they heed the coach's directive and participate. Let us wait and see," Gavaskar concluded.

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