India suffered a 1-3 series defeat to Australia in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In the final Test of the series, Australia beat India by 6 wickets to put the series in the bag.
After the defeat, India's head coach Gautam Gambhir he was visibly unhappy with the team's performance but claimed that the atmosphere in the dressing room would always be happy. Gambhir spoke about being honest with the players and tried various methods for the betterment of Indian cricket.
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Gautam Gambhir appeals for honesty and equality after India's defeat
After the match, Gautam Gambhir spoke to reporters where he answered various questions related to India's defeat. He talked about being honest and fair with every player in the locker room and not discriminating between a senior and a junior.
“For the locker room to be happy, I have to be absolutely honest, equal and fair with everyone. I know I didn't get the result and it's frustrating, it's challenging; but whatever we can do in the best interest of Indian Cricket, that will continue to happen in that dressing room,” stated Gambhir.
The series was a challenging one for India as several big names failed to perform on the big stage. Senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma he looked terribly out of form and hardly contributed to the team.
Their failures were one of the biggest reasons for India's defeat and constant failures in the batting department. It remains to be seen how the usually straightforward Gautam Gambhir fares in this tough situation.
“It's not my team or your team” – Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir further spoke about his hunger and desire to perform in international cricket. Although he did not take any names, it was clear that he was talking about Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The former India opener wants his players to keep the team first before individual interests.
“Each individual knows what stage his game is at and his hunger. That's the most important thing for any sport, any profession — how hungry are you, how passionate are you, and is the team progressing or not with your contribution? Because in the end it's not my team or your team, it's the country's team,” the coach said.
Virat Kohli has scored 190 runs in five Tests in this series at an average of 23.75. After the magnificent hundred in Perth, his numbers dipped and he was constantly troubled by the ball outside the off-stump.
On the other hand, Rohit Sharma had more disappointing results and even had to sit out the last Test in Sydney. Rohit has scored 31 runs in three Tests at an average of 6.20. In his absence, vice-captain jasprit bumrah led the side.
Fair treatment for every player
Treating players equally is one of the biggest challenges for a coach and Gautam Gambhir has spoken about it. He wants to be fair to every player, whether they are senior or junior.
“If I am fair to only two or three individuals and not to others, then I am being dishonest with my job. So, whether it is a player who is yet to debut or a player who has played 100 Test matches, the simple objective of my job is that I have to be absolutely fair and equal to everyone,” revealed Gambhir.
With this result, Australia finally have their hands on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade. They have lost four Test series to India since their triumph in 2014-15. It also ends India's chances of qualifying for the WTC finals.