The Guwahati spectators came down heavily on Gautam Gambhir as they started booing him after India's embarrassing 408-run loss to South Africa in the second Test, resulting in a series whitewash. Notably, this was India's heaviest defeat in the format and the Proteas' first series win on Indian soil since 2000. Not just this, the loss also severely dented India's chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-2027 final, as it was their second home series whitewash in just 13 months.
Fans chant Gautam Gambhir Haay Haay after India's crushing Test series defeat against SA
The immediate fallout of this defeat saw an angry reaction from fans, directed squarely at India's head coach Gautam Gambhir. Following the match, fans at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium began loudly chanting 'Gautam Gambhir hay-hay', doing so right in front of him. Under Gambhir's tenure, India has now lost five home Tests against teams like New Zealand and South Africa, fueling the fans' unforgiving reaction.
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The blame lies at the feet of everyone starting with me: Gautam Gambhir
Meanwhile, police personnel present at the stadium took cognizance of the matter and intervened and asked the fans to stop. Cops were spotted having a long chat with the fans while Gambhir stood on the field, visibly shocked, as captured in a viral video clip of the incident.
However, Gambhir took full accountability of the defeat and conceded that the team is currently undergoing a transition phase and expressed confidence that the players would learn from this experience and bounce back stronger soon.
"The blame lies at the feet of everyone starting with me. Start prioritising Test cricket. If we want Test cricket to flourish in India, we have to collectively do it. More than the accountability it's about the care. This is what a transition phase is and young players would learn on the job," Gambhir said at the post-match press conference.
South Africa's victory has intensified the race for WTC qualification, as their win pushes them closer to the top two spots on the table. Conversely, the home defeat has placed immense pressure on India's campaign. The updated ICC standings now reflect this change, showing Pakistan in fourth place with a 50% points percentage. India has consequently dropped to fifth place with a points percentage of 48.15%. Despite having collected the highest total points in the cycle so far, India's inability to secure wins, means they now face a herculean task to qualify for the 2027 WTC final in their upcoming fixtures.