Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as India’s head coach has largely been defined by success in white-ball cricket. Under his leadership, India’s T20I side has evolved into a formidable unit, dominating opponents with an aggressive, fearless brand of cricket. The former opener also delivered immediate results in the ODI format, guiding India to Champions Trophy glory last year. However, the same impact has not yet translated into Test cricket, where results have been far from encouraging.

India have suffered home Test series defeats against both New Zealand and South Africa, raising questions about the team’s red-ball direction. Former India fast bowler Munaf Patel, though, believes the criticism directed at Gambhir is misplaced. According to Patel, the real issue lies in the inexperience within the Test setup rather than shortcomings in coaching or leadership.

Speaking on the Breaking Sports with Vivek Sethia YouTube podcast, Parthiv Patel highlighted how raw the current Test side is, pointing out that there have been occasions when the combined match experience of the playing XI hasn’t even touched 100 Tests. In his view, expecting immediate consistency from such a group is unrealistic.

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“You are building a new team, right? When you build a new house, many things change,” Parthiv Patel said. “Gautam Gambhir’s thinking and cricketing mindset are very different. Whenever he has played cricket, he has performed. Even when he captained, he led teams to trophies.”

Patel, who shared the dressing room with Gambhir during India’s 2011 World Cup triumph, stressed that the transition phase in Test cricket demands patience. He explained that India are touring challenging environments like Australia and England with a largely inexperienced group, something that inevitably leads to fluctuations in performance.

“When you look at it today, the total team hasn’t even played 100 matches collectively,” Parthiv Patel added. “You are taking this team to play in Australia and England. They have performed in England, yes, but it’s still a learning curve.”

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India’s struggles are reflected in their current standing in the 2025–27 World Test Championship cycle, where the Shubman Gill-led side sits sixth on the table. After missing out on the previous WTC final, the pressure is mounting, but voices like Patel’s suggest that Gambhir deserves time as India rebuilds its red-ball core for the future.