Whatever Gambhir asked, was given. Now deliver the results, no excuse: Aakash Chopra

India's head coach Gautam Gambhir's stint in Test cricket hasn't been ideal, with the team recently losing the opening game to England and trailing 0-1 in the ongoing series against England. Gambhir’s tenure has seen mixed results across formats so far.

In T20Is, he has a win rate of 90%, having won 13 out of 15 games. His ODI record includes a Champions Trophy win in 2025 and an overall success rate of 72.72%. However, in red-ball, since taking over, India have played 11 Tests, winning only three, losing seven, and drawing one.

The recent five-wicket defeat to England at Headingley, despite five centuries, has received immense eyeballs. India’s inability to win matches from dominant positions has raised serious concerns about execution and leadership in the Test setup. Former India batter Aakash Chopra slammed Gambhir’s performance. Chopra believes that while Shubman Gill, as a new captain, deserves time, Gambhir cannot run from accountability. 

“There is a lot of pressure on Gautam Gambhir. The pressure is absolutely mounting. If you look at his performances in Test cricket and red-ball cricket, you will find that he has not won a lot of matches. He has won 2 matches against Bangladesh and one against Australia. However, we lost three against New Zealand, three against Australia, and one against England. He has been losing and losing,” said Chopra on his YouTube channel.

The questions are going to be there: Aakash Chopra

India’s performance at Leeds witnessed the lower order bundle out for just nine runs across both innings, catch opportunities were dropped, and the bowling wasn't to expectations. Despite standout individual performances, the visitors failed to sustain pressure for long durations. The former mentioned Gambhir has been given whatever he had asked for, and the only thing expected of him is results.

“His performance in white-ball cricket has been good. The team has been playing well. But in Test cricket, I think the questions are going to be there. And I think there is a lot of pressure on this series. If this series doesn't go well, God forbid, I hope it goes well. I really want Indian cricket to do well. But if the England series doesn't go too well, then there will be a question mark. Where are they going and what are they doing? Because the selectors feel that whatever team management is asking for, it is being given. The type of player you want, the number of players you want, and the player you are pointing at are being given. So, if this is the case, then you also need to deliver the results. Period. There is no excuse,” he added.