'Let BCCI decide': Combative Gambhir takes on 'sack coach' talks

His batters found it tough against the accurate and lively bowling attack from South Africa. But Indian coach Gautam Gambhir presented the full face of the bat as he batted questions on his future on the post-match press conference. 

A 0-2 loss with the largest run margin would make any coach shaky in his boots. But Gambhir was on his combative elements as he faced reporters at the end of the match in Guwahati. "It is up to the BCCI to decide my future. But I am the same guy who got you results in England and was coach for Champions Trophy," Gambhir said. 

Under Gambhir, India have lost 10 of the 18 Tests, including twin whitewashes against New Zealand last year and South Africa now, both at home.

"The blame lies with everyone and starts with me," he conceded. "We need to play better. From 95/1 to 122/7 is not acceptable. You don't blame any individual or any particular shot. Blame lies with everyone. I never blamed individuals and won't do it going forward," he added.

However, his insistence on all-rounders rather than specialists has come under fire. "Test match cricket requires a different mindset, you can't really have so many all-rounders, so much chopping and changing, so many changes in the batting order, in the team itself. Every second game, you have a new player coming in, a couple of guys get dropped," former captain and champion bowler Anil Kumble said on the official broadcast.

"I think India needs to sit down and think and ponder. You can't forget these results; you need to have a discussion around how you see Indian Test cricket going forward. Stalwarts have retired in the last 6-8 months, and when that happens, you need to have a vision and have a conversation as to what the team has to do," Kumble said.

"You can't get players in a side and hope they will develop and grow in the team. It can't happen, you can have 1 or 2 players like that in the line up if you have 8-9 strong players who have the experience. But you can't have 1-2 experienced batters and bowlers and the rest of them are trying to find their feet, he said.

Former pacer VEnkitesh Prasad echoed similar frustration, slamming what he called an "all-rounder obsession".

"Really disappointed by how India is going about in Test cricket. The all-rounder obsession is absolute brain-fade especially when you don't bowl them. Rank Poor tactics, poor skills , poor body language and an unprecedented 2 series white wash at home. Hope this does not get washed off with Test matches 9 months away and this negative approach changes," Prasad wrote on X.