Ravi Shastri destroys Gautam Gambhir, indirectly calls him ‘nonsense’ amid India’s Guwahati Test disaster

[sage]

https://cricketaddictor.com/cricket-news/ravi-shastri-destroys-gautam-gambhir-indirectly-calls-him-nonsense-amid-indias-guwahati-test-disaster-304468/

 

Ravi Shastri has launched a scathing attack on India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, openly questioning the team’s selection decisions in the ongoing two-match Test series against South Africa.

Shastri, who has coached India through some of their most successful years, said that he has been trying to understand what the team management was thinking. The former Indian head coach also called some of the team management’s calls illogical.

Ravi Shastri blames all-rounder overload for India’s collapse

However, the former Indian captain’s biggest concern is the team’s sudden obsession with all-rounders in Test cricket. Ever since Gautam Gambhir took charge as the head coach last year, players like Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana have been pushed, while pure specialists, especially batters like Sarfaraz Khan and Ruturaj Gaikwad, have been overlooked.

 

Shastri believes that this change has created confusion in the team’s structure. This confusion is at its peak in the ongoing South Africa series. India picked three spin all-rounders, and in a surprising move, they promoted Washington Sundar to bat at number three ahead of a proper specialist like Sai Sudharsan.

The decision backfired badly as India lost the first Test by 30 runs. Going into the ongoing second and final test, Shubman Gill’s injury opened the door for Sudharsan, who returned to his number-three spot. But the team still stuck to the all-rounder-heavy plan, with Nitish Kumar Reddy coming in for Axar Patel in the lower order.

Ravi Shastri slams Gautam Gambhir’s selection calls as India set to face another whitewash at home

Sundar was pushed down to number eight, which raised even more questions because he had bowled just one over in the first Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Ravi Shastri felt that if Sundar was hardly going to be used with the ball, then selecting him didn’t make much sense.

The 1983 World Cup winner believes that India has made things unnecessarily complicated. Instead of backing specialists and giving clarity to the batting order, too many all-rounders have been shuffled around without a clear role, and the result is miserable even at home.

The former Indian all-rounder also said that when India looks back at the ongoing Test series, they will have to admit that many of the selection calls were simply not right. This series has instead become a lesson in how unclear roles and confused selections can hurt the team, felt Shastri.

 

Still trying to fathom the thought process: Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri said on air, as quoted by News18: “Just doesn’t make sense. I don’t understand the thought process there. And when they look back at the series, some of the selections… I am still trying to fathom the thought process behind them. In Kolkata, one of the spinners (Sundar) bowled just one over.

Ideally, you could have gone with another specialist batsman. Similarly, here, Washington batted at three in the last Test and could have easily batted at four here, now that you had a number three. He’s not a number eight; he’s far better than a number eight.”

Notably, India was already whitewashed by New Zealand at home last year, and another drubbing could cost Gambhir his position, as the hosts are heading towards another embarrassing series loss. South Africa is on the verge of a historic clean sweep in India.

 

 

[The Realist]

 

 

 

 

 

[diga]

Everybody is feeling that this is the worst team since the 2000 when we lost against SA 2-0 ...Sachin had the decency to resign after just 1 series loss and here Gambo is clinging onto his post 

[putrevus]

The best coach India had, he taught India to be brave. He let captain be the boss and was man enough to stay behind the scene and let captain be the face of the team.

 

 

Edited November 24, 2025 by putrevus

[R!TTER]

1 minute ago, putrevus said:

He let captain be the boss and was man enough to stay behind the scene and let captain the face of the team.

Ye lo BhaRat puran chalu  

[The Dark Horse]

13 minutes ago, The Realist said:

 

 

 

 

 

He's right, bang on. Gambhir is making the team implode from the inside 

[rangeelaraja]

I wish this were true :

 

 

 

 

[rtmohanlal]

 eccentric, emotional , arrogant,  non sense  ....all combined into one ....Gambhir ...In addition to that highly incompetent  selection policies....the results are inevitable....

[Sean Bradley]

Shastri has all the reasons in the world to get annoyed with Gambhir, whatever great work Shastri had done, Gambhir reversed it within a span of 2 years and took Indian Test cricket back by atleast 2 decades if not more.

[goose]

this losing streak doesn't even warrant scrutiny. it should be instant dismissal !

[BCCISelector]

I wonder if Shastri would be interested in taking the job again.

[pramodk]

8 minutes ago, goose said:

this losing streak doesn't even warrant scrutiny. it should be instant dismissal !

Yeah, they said Dravid had a 25 crore package for coaching the Indian team, wonder how much Gautam is getting to make India a laughing stock...

[BacktoCricaddict]

2 hours ago, putrevus said:

The best coach India had, he taught India to be brave. He let captain be the boss and was man enough to stay behind the scene and let captain be the face of the team.

 

 

.... and that directly led to WC2011 win. Gary Kirsten is exactly what a coach should be. A background guy who can see the big picture and help with overall strategy, but more importantly, provide positive motivation so the players relax and feel secure.

 

 

Edited November 24, 2025 by BacktoCricaddict

[putrevus]

35 minutes ago, BacktoCricaddict said:

.... and that directly led to WC2011 win. Gary Kirsten is exactly what a coach should be. A background guy who can see the big picture and help with overall strategy, but more importantly, provide positive motivation so the players relax and feel secure.

 

 

IMO Gary Kirsten was a passenger in the team, he had no coaching philosophy or template.

 

I would put John Wrighth as better coach than Gary Kirsten. Winning trophy does not mean any captain or coach becomes good in my book. Gambhir won CT and Shastri did not, does it mean Gambhir is better coach.

 

John Wright also changed the thought process of Indian team while remaining in the background.

 

 

[jf1gp_1]

Which player are we missing ?

 

Bowling won't change. Siraj, Bumrah, jaddu, kuldeep would be picked by most. KL, jaiswal,pant would again be in mosts team.

 

Sai, sundar, jurel aand Nitesh are the four spots. Which four players could come in for them ? 

[vvvslaxman]

4 minutes ago, jf1gp_1 said:

Which player are we missing ?

 

Bowling won't change. Siraj, Bumrah, jaddu, kuldeep would be picked by most. KL, jaiswal,pant would again be in mosts team.

 

Sai, sundar, jurel aand Nitesh are the four spots. Which four players could come in for them ? 

 

Ship has sailed. He has destroyed it to the point where has to start everything from the scratch and give 10 match run.

[BacktoCricaddict]

33 minutes ago, putrevus said:

I would put John Wrighth as better coach than Gary Kirsten.

Agreed. He was one of those rare guys who had success as a player and as a coach.

[wanted_desi]

We aren't good anymore. Time to accept it. 

 

 

[Gollum]

One thing is clear. More than seniors, GG was responsible for NZ loss as well. Toxic character. 

[The Dark Horse]