Ravi Shastri and Gautam Gambhir in a Frame
Recently, Gautam Gambhir was appointed as the new head coach of India, thanks to his sharp cricketing mind and tactical approach, both as a player and mentor. However, a recent comment from former coach Ravi Shastri on how Jasprit Bumrah was handled has caught attention. It reminded fans of the time when Gambhir had questioned Shastri’s coaching methods during his tenure. With both being strong personalities, this has sparked fresh discussion among cricket lovers. Let’s take a closer look at what exactly was said and whether Shastri was taking a subtle dig at Gambhir.
After losing the first Test match against England, the Indian team came into the second match under a lot of pressure. India had lost 7 of their last 9 Test matches, and fans were expecting a strong comeback. All eyes were on Gautam Gambhir, who recently took over as the new head coach. This was his first big test after taking charge, and many hoped he would turn things around. But just before the second Test at Edgbaston, a big decision caught everyone’s attention, Jasprit Bumrah was rested.
The Indian team management said it was due to “workload management,” as Bumrah was expected to play only three of the five Tests in the series. However, many fans and former players were shocked by this call, especially since this was a very important match for India. One of the loudest voices came from former India head coach Ravi Shastri. He was surprised that Bumrah wasn’t included in such a crucial game. Shastri felt that Bumrah, being India’s best fast bowler, should have played this match. He said:
This is a very important match, they’ve had a week off. I’m little surprised Bumrah is not playing this game. It should be taken out of the player’s hand. It should be the captain and the coaching staff that should decide who should be playing the 11. This is an important game in the context of the series, he should be playing this game more than anything else. Lord’s can come later. This is the important game where you got to counter punch almost straightaway. Play this one. Make it 1-1 and then give him the option: you want to rest at Lord’s, rest at Lord’s. You think he’ll rest at Lord’s? No chance if you win this. If you look at the run, India has had, this becomes a very, very important test match.
He openly questioned the decision on live TV and said that this kind of call should not be left to the player but should be taken by the captain and coach together. What made this situation more interesting is that a few years ago, Gautam Gambhir had publicly criticized Shastri’s coaching decisions. Now, with roles reversed, Shastri seemed to hit back with his strong opinion on Gambhir’s first big decision as coach. India made a few other changes for the second Test too. Akash Deep came in for Bumrah, and Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy replaced Sudharsan and Shardul Thakur. He further added:
You’ve lost three against New Zealand, you’ve lost three against Australia. You’ve lost the first Test match here and you want to get back to winning ways. You have the best fast bowler in the side, in the world, and you make him sit out after seven days of rest, it’s something very hard to believe. A week is a very good time off for a fast bowler. (Bumrah’s omission) does surprise me and what also surprised me was him saying before the series he will only play three of the five Tests. You keep those cards close to your chest and play each week as it comes. They will definitely want Bumrah at Lord’s because of the movement you can get through the air, so can they risk him here?
The batting looked stronger, but Bumrah’s absence made the bowling attack weaker. Many believed India needed their best bowler in such an important game. Even former England bowler Stuart Broad shared his thoughts. He said that one week is enough rest for a fast bowler and that announcing Bumrah will play only three Tests in advance wasn’t the right move. According to him, such decisions should be made based on how the series is going.
For the Indian team, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2018-19 in Australia was a historic chapter in their Test cricket journey. Under the coaching of Ravi Shastri and the captaincy of Virat Kohli, India became the first-ever Asian team to win a Test series on Australian soil. This 2–1 series victory was hailed as one of India’s greatest overseas achievements. Shastri, full of praise for the side, famously called it “the best Indian team to have toured overseas”.
While many fans celebrated this statement, not everyone agreed, especially former India opener Gautam Gambhir. A few years after that series win, Gambhir’s strong reaction to Shastri’s remark surfaced again, particularly after a poor performance by India in Australia. Gambhir had openly criticised Shastri, calling his statement immature and childish. According to Gambhir, great teams don’t boast after one series win. He believed that humility and a hunger to improve are the marks of a truly great side. On this, Gambhir said:
I’m sure that people who haven’t won anything give these kinds of statements. I don’t know what Shastri has achieved in his career apart from winning the World Championship in Australia. I don’t think he was a part of an overseas series win. If you haven’t won anything yourself, you end up giving this kind of statement. I’m sure people wouldn’t have taken this seriously. I’m sure he must not have seen enough cricket. If he had he seen enough cricket, he wouldn’t have given that statement.
In an interview with News18, Gambhir didn’t hold back. He questioned Shastri’s achievements as a player and coach. “I don’t know what Shastri has achieved apart from winning that one series in Australia,” he said, further pointing out that Shastri had not been part of any major overseas series wins during his playing days. Gambhir felt that those who hadn’t won much in their careers often make such exaggerated claims.
Gambhir also said that no matter how well the team played, calling them the best after just one tour was an overstatement. He mentioned that a coach or captain should remain grounded and talk about building a stronger future, rather than declaring themselves the best. For Gambhir, it was a moment of immaturity from Shastri, and he didn’t take the comment seriously. He further added:
It was very childish. Even if you had won 4-1, you won’t say this is the best Indian team touring abroad. You would still stay humble and say we want to take this, we want to go forward, we want to keep improving. You wouldn’t say this is the best Indian team ever overseas. This is childish. I’m sure people wouldn’t have taken this seriously. I don’t know about other people but I didn’t take it seriously because it was a very immature statement.
Despite Gambhir’s criticism, it must be noted that the Indian team under Shastri did perform strongly in Tests. While they failed to lift an ICC trophy during his tenure, they dominated in red-ball cricket and only lost two home Tests from 2017 to 2021. Another iconic moment came in 2020-21 when a second-string Indian team, again under Shastri’s coaching, pulled off a remarkable series win in Australia, even after being bowled out for just 36 in Adelaide. Shastri stepped down after the T20 World Cup in 2021 and returned to commentary, while Gambhir moved into mentorship roles.
First, he mentored Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, and in 2024, he played a key role in guiding Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title. Now, as Gautam Gambhir takes charge as the new head coach of Team India, a fresh chapter is beginning. Interestingly, in recent times, Ravi Shastri has taken several digs at India’s current management, including Gambhir over decisions like resting Jasprit Bumrah in the ongoing England Test series. This has sparked talks that Shastri is now questioning the methods of a coaching setup led by the same man who once slammed him for his comments.