Sunil Gavaskar's Warning To Under-Fire Gautam Gambhir: "Unless Things Improve..."

India's head coach Gautam Gambhir is facing intense scrutiny following India's shocking 0-3 defeat to New Zealand at home. The loss has put the Indian team’s management, including Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma, under the microscope. As questions continue to be raised about the team's performance, former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has issued a stern warning, saying that tougher questions could be asked if the team does not perform well in the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series against Australia.

Gavaskar acknowledged the growing criticism but pointed out that this is still early in Gambhir’s tenure as head coach. He emphasized that after India’s recent defeats, especially against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, there is understandable frustration among fans and analysts alike. “When a loss happens, then obviously you look at where the buck stops, and the buck has to stop with the captain and the coach,” Gavaskar said during an interview with India Today.

However, Gavaskar also stressed that the true test for Gambhir and the Indian team will come during the BGT series in Australia. If India fails to perform well against the Aussies, harder questions will inevitably follow. "Unless things improve in Australia, questions will definitely be asked, and harder questions than what you are asking now," Gavaskar warned.

When asked if significant changes could be made to the Indian Test team, Gavaskar suggested that such a shift might only occur after the Australia series, depending on the outcome. He clarified that, despite the recent setbacks, he does not foresee any drastic changes in the immediate future. “I don’t see any major change happening. I think the major change could happen after the tour of Australia. And that too, if we don’t do well,” he said.

While expressing his disappointment with the team's recent performances, Gavaskar remained optimistic about India's overall potential, highlighting their recent triumphs. He pointed out their victory over England earlier in the year, where they bounced back after an initial loss. “This has been a bad series. This has been a bad dream. But I’m still very optimistic about this team,” he added.

Gavaskar emphasized that the team deserves the full support of the nation as they prepare for the BGT in Australia, which is critical for their qualification for the World Test Championship final. “We have to back this team because this is our team and we have to give them all the support so that they go to Australia in a better frame of mind,” Gavaskar concluded.