Team India won the opening ODI of the three-match series against South Africa, but head coach Gautam Gambhir is still facing a lot of criticism for the recent whitewash against the Proteas in the two-match Test series. India suffered two Test series whitewashes in the last 12 months against New Zealand and South Africa under Gautam Gambhir's tenure, and the fans showed no mercy in slamming the former India batter.
After India’s massive 408-run defeat in Guwahati, fans turned on Gautam Gambhir and began chanting “Gambhir Aye Haye” loudly in the stands. The situation got so bad that batting coach Sitanshu Kotak and fast bowler Mohammed Siraj had to step in and calm the crowd down. Along with the poor Test results, Gambhir’s equation with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has also become a big talking point, with fans constantly guessing what the future holds for the two senior players in the ODI setup.
Zaheer Khan's advice to Gautam Gambhir
Amid all the noise around, former India speedster Zaheer Khan, who featured alongside Gambhir in the 2011 World Cup, advised the current head coach to develop thick skin and take criticism in stride.
“Emotions run high. You are expected to win pretty much every game. You are expected to win because you've been doing that consistently. You have the strength on your side to achieve those kinds of milestones and secure those kinds of victories. So, accountability and appraisal are always going to be there. So, it goes hand in hand,” said Zaheer on Cricbuzz.
“It's just that the job demands you to be that way. The scrutiny with the game is always going to be there, with your role is always going to be there. So, I think, you know, it's something which you got to be. You got to be able to balance it. You've got to be thick-skinned to be able to deal with all these kinds of criticism. But again, I said, it's coming with the kind of expectation, the kind of passion which everyone has. And the kind of ability which you have as a team,” he added.
Notably, under Gambhir, India lost the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka last year, which was followed by the shocking whitewash at the hands of New Zealand. Under Gambhir, India have lost five out of their last seven Tests.
“The disappointment always comes because you know that you can do better. And the frustration comes with those kinds of emotions. It's just that kind of phase. So, you need to have that communication also from the team management that, okay, you know, rather than getting the emotions get the better of you, you have to be able to have a very open dialogue because the fans are understanding as well. You know, they understand that they're going to be there even though you're frustrated,” said Zaheer.
“As long as you're following a process which is leading to what you want to achieve. And having those kinds of results. You know, it becomes result-oriented. So, I think, the communication in terms of the thought process, which is being implied at this stage, if the team is more vocal about it, more transparent about it, I think the fans will also understand where they're coming from. It's important not to get carried away,” he added.