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India head coach Gautam Gambhir has faced a lot of scrutiny over the side's recent poor performances in Test cricket. This comes after Team India suffered a second Test series whitewash at home under Gambhir and lost to South Africa by 0-2. They have already recorded four defeats in nine games in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle and if their form doesn't improve in the upcoming matches, then their chances of reaching the final may end up taking a major hit.
Flower's praise for Gambhir
Amid the wave of criticism, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) head coach Andy Flower has showed support for Gambhir. He reflected on the time that the two spend together at the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), praising his leadership and work ethic. He also remarked that Gambhir is someone who never tries to run away from taking responsibility.
“I have tremendous respect for Gautam Gambhir. I really enjoyed working with him, and I certainly valued our partnership when he was a mentor — quite a forceful mentor — at Lucknow Super Giants. I also enjoyed our interactions when we crossed paths internationally. I respect him a lot as a player and as a leader. I don’t think all responsibility should be placed on one individual, but I know he has never shirked responsibility," Flower told The Times of India.
Flower's take on India's spin tracks
Flower also shared his views on the pitch tactics that India have used in Tests as of recent and said that the team doesn't need tracks where spinners totally dominate. He further said that they have a talented team in hand that doesn't need "extreme pitches" in order to win games.
“If pitches turn excessively in India, it brings the two sides closer. I don’t think the pitches need to turn that much for India to win Test matches. They have a very talented team that can take four or five days to win a game. They don’t need extreme pitches," Flower stated.
Meanwhile, India's next Test assignment hasn't been scheduled as the team is set to shift their focus to T20Is for some time with the 2026 T20 World Cup set to begin in February. It remains to be seen if they will be able to improve their performance in the next assignment that they will play in the longest format.
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