India head coach Gautam Gambhir was loud and clear regarding the India's recent ODI series loss to Australia. He emphasised that an individual may shine but the team result is what matters. To BCCI.TV, Gambhir expressed that, on the one hand, it is okay to recognize players' personal milestones, but, on the other hand, doing so after a defeat gives out an incorrect message.
Gautam Gambhir emphasises team success over personal milestones
“The bottom line is that we lost the ODI series, and I can never celebrate a series loss as a coach,” Gambhir said. “I can be happy with individual performances, but ultimately, it’s about the team’s result.”
The ODI series in Australia marked the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to international cricket after the IPL. Sharma, who was named Player of the Series, scored a century in the third ODI and a fluent 73 in the second. Kohli bounced back after two ducks to post a 74-run knock in the final match. Contributions from Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel also stood out despite India losing the series 1–2.
Gambhir, however, refrained from naming players and reiterated that no individual milestone can compensate for a series defeat. “As a player, I can appreciate individuals, but as a coach, it’s my moral responsibility to ensure that we, as a team and as a nation, never celebrate a series loss,” he said.
While India bounced back to clinch the T20I series 2–1, Gambhir noted that even victories offer lessons. “Yes, the T20 series was different — we won and took a lot of positives from it — but there’s always plenty to learn,” he added.
(By PTI Inputs)
