The pressure continues to mount on India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir after another disappointing Test series loss, including the rare setback on home soil. While fans on social media have loudly demanded his removal, the final decision rests with the BCCI, which has opted not to take immediate action. Still, the scrutiny has intensified as several former players analyse India’s decline in Test cricket under his leadership.
A major point of contention has been Gambhir’s insistence on an all-rounder-driven team composition instead of banking on specialist performers. Since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy loss to Australia, where India fell 1-3, Gambhir has repeatedly prioritised multi-utility players in the Playing XI, resulting in consistent bench time for specialists like Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh and Devdutt Padikkal. Domestic heavyweights such as Sarfaraz Khan, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Karun Nair have also found themselves sidelined.
Former India batter Manoj Tiwary has publicly criticised this approach, arguing that Gambhir’s reliance on all-rounders can work only when the available players are exceptional match-winners. He questions whether Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Nitish Reddy can be compared to legendary all-rounders of past generations. Tiwary insists that Test cricket demands specialists who understand conditions, temperament and adaptability — strengths that many overlooked domestic players possess.
Tiwary also highlighted the ongoing controversy around Mohammed Shami’s exclusion despite his strong performances in the Ranji Trophy. According to him, Shami’s ability to break partnerships and deliver under pressure could have been decisive in key moments, particularly in the South Africa series where crucial stands went unchallenged.
He further questioned the very basis of branding many of today’s players as all-rounders. Citing Kapil Dev, Jacques Kallis and Ian Botham as examples of true match-winning all-rounders, Tiwary asked whether any of the current players fit that definition. His conclusion was clear — India’s Test cricket strategy needs a complete reassessment, with a renewed focus on specialist batters and bowlers.
The article also notes a separate development regarding the Women’s Premier League (WPL). For 2026, the tournament will take place at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, the venue where India lifted the Women’s World Cup. The closing stages will be played in Baroda, following a rotation of previous finals hosted at Brabourne Stadium in 2023 and 2025 and at Arun Jaitley Stadium in 2024.
