Former India cricketer Munaf Patel came out in support of Gautam Gambhir and instead blamed BCCI for the team's poor run of form in Test cricket. He believes that the main reason why the Men in Blue are losing Tests at home is due to their batters not being able to properly play spin and this si due to turning tracks not being used in domestic cricket.
Patel also remarked that a lack of experience is also evident in the current Test team as they didn't even have 100 caps between them when they toured England last year.
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“Gautam Gambhir’s thinking is very different. His cricketing thought process is unlike anyone else’s. He has performed well when playing cricket and has won trophies as captain. The players of the current Indian Test team don’t even have 100 Tests between them, which is the team that played in England,” Patel said on the YouTube podcast Breaking Sports with Vivek Sethia.
“Why we are losing at home is because our batters don’t know how to play spin. And the BCCI is at fault for it. They have stopped offering turning pitches in domestic cricket. They have made it mandatory that at least 6mm of grass be on pitches. How will it turn?" he added.
Patel feels criticism against Gambhir is unfair
Patel further said that Gambhir is being "unfairly targeted" by the critics as it is not his responsibility to perform on the field. He highlighted how the team has won an ICC trophy under the current head coach and said that it is not fair to target only one person for a collective failure.
“Earlier, our curators would prepare pitches as per our strengths. And hence, when India plays at home, we dish out turning wickets. So clearly, you don’t understand where to get your feet and bat. Everyone’s blaming Gautam Gambhir. He's being unfairly targeted. He is not batting out there. The ones who are, aren’t prepared enough,” Patel stated.
“These are new players, new era. You are tampering with the system and blaming Gautam Gambhir for it. It’s not fair. The reason we won the Champions Trophy and ODIs/T20Is is that the wickets are the same. We’re losing in Tests because the pitches there are different. Why are you targeting one person? He is a good coach. He’s won you an ICC title and drew the Test series in England," he further added.
India's superb form in T20Is
Meanwhile, Team India have done a fantastic job under Gambhir when it comes to T20Is. They were brilliant throughout 2025 and started 2026 with a bang by winning the five-match series against New Zealand by 4-1. They will be looking to maintain their red-hot form in the T20 World Cup that is set to commence from February 7. The Men in Blue will face USA in their opening match that will be held at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.