India All-Rounder Shardul Thakur Defends Gautam Gambhir Amid Public Backlash Over Multiple Test Failures

Shardul Thakur also expressed his desire to perform well at the upcoming Duleep Trophy, where he is set to represent the West Zone team.

India All-Rounder Shardul Thakur Defends Gautam Gambhir Amid Public Backlash Over Multiple Test Failures

Shardul Thakur defended Team India head oach Gautam Gambhir from crictism over recent Test results. (via NDTV Sports)

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Veteran Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur defended Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir, against what he called unfair public criticism following the team’s inconsistent results in red-ball cricket. The 33-year-old praised Gambhir’s attitude and coaching style as that of an ‘achiever’.

Gautam Gambhir was appointed head coach of the Indian national cricket team in July 2024, taking over from Rahul Dravid. Gambhir assumed the position last year, with the responsibility of guiding the team through an impending transitional phase. The 43-year-old had already built an impressive resume as a mentor for the IPL side Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2024 season, where they won their third IPL title.

Since Gambhir took over as head coach, the Men in Blue have been dominant in white-ball cricket. India has won 21 of the 26 combined ODIs and T20Is they have played over the past year, including the 2025 Champions Trophy title, achieving a win rate of close to 80 percent. However, India’s Test record has not been as strong, with Gambhir having guided the team to only five Test wins out of 15 during his first year.

The Indian team’s struggles in the red-ball format began with a humiliating 0-3 whitewash defeat to New Zealand, marking India’s first home series defeat in 12 years. This was followed by another dismal performance against Australia, losing 1-3, which also resulting in India missing out on the WTC final for the first time. While India’s Test record under Gambhir may have slightly improved with the recent 2-2 draw against England, his strategies in red-ball cricket remain under intense scrutiny.

Amidst criticism, Shardul Thakur spoke out in favor of the 43-year-old India head coach, in an interview with Boria Majumdar. He was asked whether Gambhir instilled his never-give-up attitude in the team. The 33-year-old agreed, highlighting Gautam Gambhir’s fighting spirit, which has been evident in him as a player and now as a coach, despite facing several hurdles and criticism over his aggressive nature. He said:

Yes, we have always seen him [Gautam Gambhir] as a player who is willing to fight for the team, and even during the huddles, he transferred that energy into us.

Shardul Thakur confidently stated that Gautam Gambhir is an ‘achiever’ and has been highly successful for India. The all-rounder added that Gambhir has brought energy, motivation, and experience to the team, and he believes the team is moving in the right direction, suggesting that the criticism is only temporary. Thakur also reflected on the inexperienced Indian red-ball team’s display in England, and lauded Gautam Gambhir for instilling confidence in the players.

He [Gambhir] is an achiever… And he brings all those experiences and motivations into the team. Criticism will come and go, but as a team, winning matters, and I believe we are heading in the right direction.

Meanwhile, Shardul Thakur was also a part of the Indian red-ball squad that toured England for the five-match Test series, but he could only make two appearances. He played in the opening Test in Leeds and the fourth Test in Manchester, scoring only 46 runs and taking two wickets.

Shardul Thakur Compares the 2021 Border-Gavaskar Trophy Win and 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy

In the same interview with Boria Majumdar, ace Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur was asked to compare his experiences from the historic 2021 Border-Gavaskar Trophy win with the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy draw. Thakur was part of the squads on both occasions.

Shardul Thakur compares series
Shardul Thakur compared the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory to the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy draw. (via NDTV Sports)

Thakur suggested that both the Test series were unique. However, he noted that the 2020-21 BGT was particularly challenging as the teams played during the COVID-19 pandemic and had to adhere to several strict measures both on and off the field. Regarding the 2025 England tour, Thakur mentioned that all the matches went down to the wire, with both teams fighting until the very end to draw the series.

Both were unique in their own ways. Playing during Covid was challenging, equally because of the off-the-field challenges… Talking about this [India-England] series, every match went till the last day.

In the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Shardul Thakur played only in the fourth Test in Brisbane, where he took seven wickets across both innings. His contribution with the bat, a crucial knock of 67 runs in the first innings, is what is most often remembered for helping India secure a three-wicket victory.