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Harbhajan Singh Defends Gambhir Amid India's Test Struggles, Backs Patience

Former cricketer Harbhajan Singh has commented on the split coaching debate following India's poor Test performances under head coach Gautam Gambhir. India faced heavy Test defeats to New Zealand and South Africa, costing them a potential World Test Championship final spot. However, Gambhir simultaneously led the team to victory in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. Harbhajan defended Gambhir, urging for patience and suggesting a split coaching model could be considered in the future if necessary.

Key Points: Harbhajan Singh on Gambhir's Coaching & India's Test Form

  • India suffered two Test series whitewashes under Gambhir
  • Gambhir led India to 2025 ICC Champions Trophy title
  • Harbhajan Singh calls for patience with the coach
  • Split coaching format suggested as a future option
  • Pressure on coach intensifies when team performs poorly
2 min read

"Gambhir does not go there to play": Harbhajan Singh on split coaching for India

Harbhajan Singh urges patience with coach Gautam Gambhir after India's Test losses, discusses split coaching, and highlights Champions Trophy win.

"Gautam Gambhir does not go there to play. When he was playing, he played well. - Harbhajan Singh"

Dubai, January 6

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has opined on the split coaching in India following the Asian Giants' poor performances in Test cricket under head coach Gautam Gambhir.

India suffered two whitewashes at home in the last two years. The Asian Giants suffered a humiliating 0-3 loss to New Zealand in 2024, followed by a 0-2 thrashing at home by South Africa in 2025, under head coach Gautam Gambhir.

New Zealand's 3-0 whitewash also marked the end of India's great Test empire, which had been well guarded by leaders like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for over a decade.

The NZ whitewash cost a once well-settled India a place in the ICC World Test Championship 2025 final, and the latest setback to the Proteas could also end up costing them a berth in the marquee one-off Test championship clash, depending on how further results go.

On the other hand, Gambhir led India to lift the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy title in Dubai, and the Men in Blue have performed well in the white-ball format.

Speaking to ANI, former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh emphasised the responsibilities that come with becoming the coach of the Indian cricket team. He added that in India, when the team does well, everyone stays quiet, and when the side performs poorly, everyone starts pointing out the coach.

"It is not that easy to become a coach of India. To be a coach, you have to travel with the team for a whole year and keep yourself involved in the game. You have to be more engaged because there are multiple team selections, and you also need to focus on match results. In India, it is our tradition that if the team plays well, everyone is quiet, but as soon as the team plays poorly, we get on top of the coach," Harbhajan said.

"Gautam Gambhir does not go there to play. When he was playing, he played well. He played very well for India. Everyone needs to be patient. If you feel you need to split the coaching, such as adopting a policy of one white ball and one red ball, then there is no need to do so for now. But over time, if needed, you should definitely do it. There is nothing wrong with that," he added.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
The results speak for themselves. Two home whitewashes is unacceptable for a team of India's stature. Maybe a split coaching role *is* the answer. The skills required for Test cricket are very different from T20s and ODIs.
A
Aditya G
It's our typical "chalta hai" attitude. When we win, the coach is a genius. When we lose, he's the villain. Harbhajan is right about our tradition. We need to be more balanced fans. Gambhir is a fighter, he will turn this around.
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Priya S
The problem isn't just coaching. Where is the next generation of Test batters? We relied on Kohli, Pujara, Rahane for so long. Now there's a gap. BCCI needs to focus on nurturing long-format players in domestic cricket.
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Vikram M
With all due respect to Harbhajan Singh, I disagree. "Gambhir does not go there to play" is exactly the point! As a coach, his job is to prepare the team to play, and the results have been poor in Tests. The board should seriously consider his position for the red-ball team.
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Kavya N
True that! We won a global trophy under him. Test cricket is a different beast. Maybe we are putting too much pressure on one person. Other countries have split coaching, why can't we? Let's be practical.

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