‘What difference does it make?’ – Gambhir unmoved by debate as India turn attention to Australia

By Amarnath Devaji

The Indian cricket team and head coach Gautam Gambhir have come under fire after a 3-0 series whitewash at home against New Zealand.

For a team that has been near-invincible at home, this loss was significant—it marked their first Test series defeat on home soil since 2012 and the first 3-0 whitewash at home this century, as they struggled to cope with New Zealand’s spin attack.

Despite the heavy backlash following the series loss, Gambhir showed no signs of concern, shrugging off all the uproar.

“What difference does it make, the social media talk? What difference does it make in my life or for that matter, in anyone else's life?” Gambhir said.

“When I took up this job, I knew it was going to be a highly difficult job and highly prestigious job. Honestly, I don't feel I am feeling the heat because there are some incredibly tough people in that dressing room who have achieved some great things for the country and will continue to do so.

“It's an absolute honour to be coaching them and coaching India.”

Despite standing firm against the criticism, Gambhir acknowledged that New Zealand were the superior side and outplayed the hosts in all departments.

However, the coach was eager to move past the setback, emphasise the lessons learned, and shift the team's focus to the upcoming challenge against Australia.

“The learning is that we accept that we were outplayed. I am not going to sit here and defend. I think we were outplayed in all three departments, they were more professional and we accept that," he said.

“The criticism that we are receiving, we take it with both hands and we keep moving forward, we keep getting better every day.

“My relationship with Rohit (Sharma) has been incredible. Before the New Zealand series, we had an incredible Test in Kanpur (against Bangladesh). I know we haven't played our best cricket but that doesn't change anything. Australia is a new series, Australia is a new opponent and we go out there thinking we can definitely win the series.”

Among those heavily criticised for the whitewash were senior players, notably captain Rohit and experienced batter Virat Kohli, who managed only 91 and 93 runs respectively across the three matches against the Black Caps.

In a recent discussion on The ICC Review, Australian legend Ricky Ponting pointed out that despite having scored just two Test centuries in the last five years, Kohli remained a fixture in India's Playing XI, suggesting that any other player would have been dropped by now.

READ: What Ponting had to say on Kohli's form and India's defeat to New Zealand

Responding to the criticism, Gambhir defended the star duo, expressing confidence in their ability to bounce back and deliver strong performances going forward.

“What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket? I think he should think about Australian cricket," Gambhir noted.

“We have no concerns about Virat and Rohit. I think they're incredibly tough men, they've achieved a lot for Indian cricket and they will continue to achieve a lot in the future as well.

“I think the most important thing for me is they still work very hard, they're still passionate and they still want to achieve a lot more. The hunger in the dressing room is incredibly important for me and for the entire group of people, especially what has happened in the last series.”

One of the major uncertainties heading into the Border-Gavaskar series is the availability of Rohit, who is expected to miss the opening Test in Perth due to personal reasons.

Gambhir expressed hope that Rohit would be available but assured that the team is prepared from both an opening and leadership standpoint in case he isn't.

“At the moment, there's no confirmation. But we guys will let you know exactly what the situation will be. Hopefully, he's going to be available but everything you will get to know before the start of the series," Gambhir added.

“Obviously, there's (Abhimanyu) Eeswaran, there's KL Rahul there. So we will take a call closer to the first Test match if Rohit is not available. There are options there.

“(Jasprit) Bumrah is the vice-captain, if Rohit is not available, he's going to lead us.”

India lost top spot on the World Test Championship standings after losing the series against New Zealand, and need a positive series result in Australia to stay in contention of reaching next year's final.

To secure a spot in the WTC25 Final, India will need to win the series 4-0 or 4-1. If they fall short of these outcomes, their qualification hopes will hinge on favourable results from other matches.

ALSO READ: The latest World Test Championship State of Play

Despite the high stakes, Gambhir is maintaining focus on the series itself, steering clear of the qualification scenario that currently involves five teams vying for the top two spots.

“Honestly, we are not even looking what's going to happen in the World Test Championship, whether we are going to qualify. Every series is important, as simple as it gets. When you play for your country, every series is important, irrespective of what has happened in the past," he added.

“For us, it's two good teams playing against each other and we are absolutely keen out there to go there and perform and try to win the series.”