Coach Kotak Backs Gambhir Amidst Criticism Post-India’s Defeat to South Africa

India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has faced significant criticism following his team’s 30-run loss to South Africa in the first Test held in Kolkata. This marked India’s fourth home Test defeat under Gambhir’s leadership, following a 3-0 series loss to New Zealand the previous year.

Ahead of the second Test in Guwahati, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak came to Gambhir’s defense, suggesting that ulterior motives might be influencing the criticism. During a media interaction at the Barsapara Stadium, Kotak expressed frustration over the focus on Gambhir.

“People only talk about Gautam Gambhir, but no one mentions the performance of individual players or how I could have contributed differently as a batting coach,” Kotak remarked. “India has lost only two or so out of the last 30-35 matches, yet no one acknowledges our victories. Everyone fixates on Gautam Gambhir because of the few losses.”

Kotak added, “As a coaching staff member, I find it unfair. It seems some individuals have personal agendas. Good luck to them, but this is not right.”

The nature of the pitch at Eden Gardens was also under scrutiny, as it showed variable bounce from the first day. Gambhir mentioned in the post-match press conference that the pitch was just as the team wanted, and the loss was due to their own shortcomings. “Gautam took full responsibility to prevent blame from falling on the curator,” Kotak explained.

Kotak elaborated on why the pitch behaved unexpectedly, noting that it started crumbling from the first day. “Even the curators did not anticipate this. It wasn’t intended to be like this,” Kotak said. He further explained, “By the second day, the top layer of the wicket became too dry, and the underlying layer was hard due to excessive rolling.”

Kotak defended India’s strategy of preparing spin-friendly pitches, emphasizing it as a home advantage. He said, “When we play abroad, countries like England or Australia set conditions to their advantage. In India, spin is our strength. We never request extreme conditions where matches end within two days.”

For more information on India’s team strategies, check out the article linked here.

Published on November 20, 2025.