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New Zealand had toured India seven times before this series and had never managed to win a bilateral contest. That long-standing trend has now been broken, uncomfortably so, under Gautam Gambhir’s watch.
Gambhir’s tenure as India’s head coach has certainly been record-breaking. The problem is that not all of those records are ones to celebrate.
Gautam Gambhir’s unsettling record trail
Just months into his role, Gambhir scripted an unwanted first. In October 2024, he became the first Indian coach to be whitewashed at home in a Test series of three or more matches. New Zealand, which had been touring India since 1955–56 without ever winning a Test series, stunned the hosts with a 3–0 sweep, achieved without Kane Williamson.
The following year seemed to offer redemption. India lifted the 2025 Champions Trophy and Asia Cup, and fought hard to draw a five-match Test series in England. For many, the New Zealand whitewash appeared to be an anomaly.
In November 2025, Gambhir again found himself on the wrong side of history as India suffered another whitewash, this time a 2–0 defeat to South Africa at home. Doubts around his red-ball credentials grew louder, though the BCCI continued to back him. His white-ball acumen, however, was largely unquestioned.
New Zealand’s second-string stuns India
Gambhir has now become the first Indian coach to lose an ODI series to New Zealand. What makes the defeat more alarming is the context. The Kiwis were without Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Will O’Rourke, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Mark Chapman and Nathan Smith.
Despite the absences, New Zealand clinched the series 2–1. India did rest key players like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel, but the scale of unavailability on the New Zealand side far outweighed India’s. Jayden Lennox and Kristian Clarke made their debuts, while Mitchell Hay and Zak Foulkes entered the series with just 13 international matches between them. Still, they outplayed India across two of the three ODIs.
Also Read: 3rd ODI: Virat Kohli’s heroics go in vain as New Zealand seal historic series win
Tactical questions refuse to fade
India’s on-field decisions only deepened the concerns. Nitish Kumar Reddy bowled just two overs in Rajkot. In Indore, Kuldeep Yadav delivered only three overs in the first 39. Ravindra Jadeja went wicketless despite conditions favouring spin, yet Ayush Badoni wasn’t given a chance.
While one series loss shouldn’t trigger panic, a worrying pattern is emerging under Gambhir. Questionable selections and tactical rigidity have repeatedly surfaced in both Tests and ODIs.
Daryl Mitchell, in particular, made Indian bowlers look deprived of ideas throughout the series. Why wasn’t Kuldeep tried around the wicket? Why didn’t Jadeja vary his pace more? And why wasn’t a specialist spinner chosen as Washington Sundar’s replacement?
These are not overreactions; they are questions that demand answers.
