Gautam Gambhir (AFP Photo)

NEW DELHI: India head coach Gautam Gambhir is under increasing scrutiny after consecutive home Test series defeats, despite enjoying early success with India’s Champions Trophy and Asia Cup wins since taking charge in July last year. The team’s struggles in red-ball cricket — including a 3-0 loss to New Zealand followed by a 2-0 defeat against South Africa — have raised alarms, especially as India have been whitewashed in a home Test series only three times in history, with two of those coming during Gambhir’s stint.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!However, former India head coach Ravi Shastri believes criticism should not be directed at just one individual. Speaking on Prabhat Khabar’s YouTube podcast, he urged a broader view of accountability.

“So when results come, one thing the public should remember is that players should also take responsibility. It should not be that you target one individual. It has happened to me, that is why I am speaking from experience. So it is important that the players also take the rap on the knuckles when something like this happens. There should be pride. They should feel hurt that we have lost. Until that happens, things will not move forward,” he said.“Har match jitna hai. Nahi jitega to bandook tumhari taraf. Agar ye mere saath hota to mai pehle responsibility leta. Wo pride hona chaiye. Hurt hona chaiye ki hum haare hain. Pressure sabko aata hai. Jhelna padta hai. Cricket is 90 percent here in the mind [We have to win every match. If we don’t win, the gun will point at you. If this had happened with me, I would have taken responsibility first. There should be pride. You should feel hurt that we have lost. Everyone feels pressure. You have to deal with it. Cricket is 90 percent here — in the mind],” Shastri said. Shastri also highlighted the importance of leadership qualities beyond tactics.“If your performance is poor, you could be fired. Therefore, you need to maintain patience. Communication and man-management skills are crucial here. Only then can you motivate the players to win. And that’s what we did. The most important thing is to enjoy whatever you do. Don’t take it as pressure,” he explained.Drawing from his time overseeing India’s dominant Test period between 2014 and 2021, Shastri stressed that defeats should be viewed collectively.Watch the video here“Everyone, right from the team management to the players, you can’t single out one person. It’s a collective decision. South Africa defeated India; no single player defeated India. South Africa played well as a team. Where did we play?” he questioned.While he avoided directly criticising Gambhir, Shastri reiterated shared accountability for the recent slump.India’s first-ever home Test whitewash took place in 1999–2000, also against South Africa — a reminder of how rare such setbacks have been.