The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, Devajit Saikia, has come out strongly in defence of India head coach Gautam Gambhir after the team’s 0-2 Test series defeat to South Africa. With India suffering their heaviest home loss—an innings and 408-run defeat in Guwahati—the criticism has largely been directed at Gambhir’s tactical calls, especially the heavy reliance on all-rounders that many believe has unsettled the team’s balance.

However, Saikia firmly shifted the accountability toward the players, stressing that adaptability remains the cornerstone of Test cricket. Speaking to TOI, he noted that elite cricketers must learn to adjust to diverse weather conditions, pitch compositions and varying levels of grass and soil.

Drawing on the examples of greats like Dilip Vengsarkar and Sunil Gavaskar, Saikia highlighted how past generations succeeded by modifying their techniques across conditions in England, the West Indies, Australia and South Africa.

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“A Test cricketer has to adapt to any wicket. Everything changes except the player, and he or she must evolve accordingly. That is the beauty of Test cricket,” Devajit Saikia said, making it clear that the responsibility rests on those taking the field.

He also stressed that India is currently navigating a primary transition phase, with stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin retiring from Test cricket. With a young, inexperienced group stepping into key roles, Saikia believes it will take time for India to reclaim the No. 1 Test ranking.

This series loss is India’s third under Gambhir’s tenure. Since taking over 16 months ago, the team has suffered defeats of 0-3 at home to New Zealand, 1-3 away in Australia, and now 0-2 to South Africa. Despite the setbacks, Saikia insisted that the BCCI will not resort to impulsive decisions.

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“BCCI doesn’t take knee-jerk reactions. We follow a long-term plan. Winning and losing are part of the game. If any changes are needed, we make them at the end of the review period,” he said, signalling strong backing for Gambhir and patience with the rebuilding process.