South Africa Test captain Temba Bavuma has come out strongly in defence of India head coach Gautam Gambhir at a time when India’s Test performances are under intense scrutiny. Following back-to-back home series defeats against South Africa and New Zealand, Gambhir’s role as India’s red-ball coach has been questioned by fans and experts alike, with calls growing for a split-coaching model across formats.

Writing in a column for ESPNcricinfo, Bavuma urged patience, drawing parallels between India’s current phase and South Africa’s own transition period around 2019. He highlighted that rebuilding in Test cricket is rarely smooth, especially when teams are integrating younger players and reshaping leadership groups.

Bavuma also pushed back against the idea of splitting coaching responsibilities between red-ball and white-ball formats. Based on South Africa’s experience with a split-coaching structure in 2023, he argued that such models can create confusion rather than clarity for players who move quickly between formats in a congested international calendar.

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“Some may feel Gambhir should continue with white-ball cricket and let someone else handle Tests,” Temba Bavuma wrote. “But splitting the roles is something we tried. While it made sense on paper, in reality it became challenging for players to constantly adapt to different philosophies and coaching styles.”

According to Temba Bavuma, a single head coach across formats brings continuity, clarity of vision, and consistency in team culture. In modern international cricket, where squads overlap heavily across Tests, ODIs and T20Is, he believes stability off the field is just as important as balance on it.

Bavuma also pointed out that Gambhir’s contract runs until the 2027 ODI World Cup, suggesting that India would benefit from backing him through the current rough patch instead of reacting impulsively to short-term results. Under Gambhir’s guidance, India have flourished in white-ball cricket, winning the Champions Trophy and maintaining an unbeaten run in T20I bilateral series between major tournaments.

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However, India’s struggles in Test cricket have been hard to ignore. Away losses in Australia, followed by rare home series defeats to New Zealand and South Africa, have raised legitimate concerns about the team’s red-ball direction. Yet, as Bavuma notes, transitions take time, and knee-jerk changes at the coaching level may only deepen instability.

As India navigate this challenging phase, the debate around Gambhir’s role is likely to continue. But Bavuma’s perspective offers a timely reminder that long-term vision, continuity and trust in leadership often prove more valuable than quick fixes in elite sport.