IND vs SA 2025: ‘Stay in Your Domain’- Tension Erupts as Gautam Gambhir Blasts DC Co-Owner Parth Jindal, Says Gill’s Injury Triggered India’s Test Defeat
Gambhir defends India after Test loss, says Gill’s injury was key setback and asks critics, including IPL owners, to stay in their domain.
India’s 0-2 Test series defeat to South Africa at home has sparked strong reactions, and head coach Gautam Gambhir has now pushed back. This was India’s first home Test series loss in 25 years, but Gambhir said the criticism has not considered the full picture.
He pointed out that India lost their Test captain Shubman Gill early in the series. Gill injured his neck in the first Test, missed the second innings there, and then sat out the entire second Test.
Gambhir said Gill’s absence changed the balance of the side. He reminded reporters that Gill had scored more than 1000 runs in seven matches and was India’s most in-form batter during a transition phase.
He said, “We played without our captain. He did not play both innings. That was the only difference, which does not mean you do not bring out the facts. When you are in a transition, you lose your captain, who is our in-form batter, who scored over 1000 runs in seven matches. Against such a team, it is a blow.”
The coach also took a dig at critics who questioned India’s coaching structure after the series loss. Without naming him directly, Gambhir responded to Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal, who had suggested India should move to split coaching.
Gambhir said some people were “going out of their domain,” adding, “A lot of people has been saying a lot of things, some going out of their domain like one IPL owner who suggested split coaching.”
Jindal had earlier called the defeat a “complete thrashing” and said India looked weak at home. He also criticised team selection for not picking red-ball specialists and pushed for a separate Test coach. In his post on X, he wrote that the team did not reflect India’s red-ball depth.
“Not even close, what a complete thrashing at home! Don’t remember seeing our test side being so weak at home!!!This is what happens when red ball specialists are not picked. This team is nowhere near reflective of the deep strength we possess in the red ball format. Time for India to move to a specialist red ball coach for Test cricket,” wrote Jindal at X.
India bounced back soon after the Tests. They won the ODI series 2-1, finishing with a strong nine-wicket win in Visakhapatnam. The team now shifts focus to the five-match T20I series against South Africa starting on December 9 in Cuttack.
Gambhir stressed that the Test defeat was not a sign of a broken system. He said losing a captain in form during a transition period can hurt any team, and India will look ahead with clarity rather than noise from outside.
