Munaf Patel comes in support of Gautam Gambhir
Under Gautam Gambhir’s leadership as head coach, India’s T20I side has evolved into a formidable and highly dominant unit. The former Indian opener has successfully instilled an aggressive mindset and clarity of roles, which has translated into consistent results in the shortest format. Gambhir’s influence has also extended to the ODI setup, with India enjoying notable success, including a triumphant Champions Trophy campaign last year. These achievements underline his ability to build competitive teams and deliver results in white-ball cricket. However, India’s performances in the longest format have painted a contrasting picture, with the team struggling to replicate the same level of dominance in Test cricket.
Munaf Patel opens up on Gautam Gambhir's coaching role
India have suffered disappointing Test series defeats against New Zealand and South Africa, even while playing at home- results that have raised concerns and sparked criticism. Despite this, former India pacer Munaf Patel has come to Gautam Gambhir’s defense, suggesting that the shortcomings cannot be attributed to the coach alone. Patel believes the root cause lies in the relative inexperience of the Test squad. He highlighted instances where the combined Test match experience of the playing XI barely crossed 100 games, pointing to a lack of exposure at the highest level. According to Patel, such inexperience can significantly impact performance in demanding conditions, especially in Test cricket, where patience and adaptability are crucial.
“You are building a new team, right? When you build a new house, many things change. You are talking about Gautam Gambhir, right? His thinking is very different. His cricketing mindset is very different. Whenever he has played cricket, he has performed well. Even when he captained, he led the team to trophies," former Indian pacer Munaf Patel stated.
“Now, when you are building a new team, think about it: in the 20-year or 25-year era, how many players with 100 matches’ experience do you have? Today, your total team hasn’t even played 100 matches collectively. You are running a team where the players combined haven’t played 100 games. And you are taking this team to play in Australia and in England. They have performed in England; yes, they have done well,” he added.
Under the leadership of Shubman Gill, India are currently facing a challenging phase in the World Test Championship standings for the 2025-27 cycle. The team finds itself placed at No. 6 on the WTC points table, a position that reflects their recent struggles in the longest format of the game. Inconsistent performances, particularly in key series, have hampered India’s progress and put pressure on the side to produce stronger results going forward if they hope to remain in contention for a place in the final.
This situation follows disappointment from the previous WTC cycle, where India failed to qualify for the final after a series of underwhelming Test outings. The title clash eventually saw South Africa emerge as champions, defeating Australia in a high-profile final held at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground last year. India’s absence from that marquee event marked a significant shift, especially for a team that had featured in earlier WTC finals and traditionally dominated red-ball cricket. With a relatively young squad and leadership transition underway, the current WTC cycle represents both a challenge and an opportunity for India. Improving consistency, building experience, and converting crucial moments into victories will be essential if Gill’s side is to climb the standings and re-establish itself as a dominant force in Test cricket.
