Ravi Shastri slams India’s Test decline under Gautam Gambhir calling the recent collapses unacceptable

Ravi Shastri has always been straightforward during crises, and his latest podcast appearance reaffirmed that. The former head coach of India jumped right into the thick of it, tackling the questions that have been circulating about Gautam Gambhir’s leadership in Test cricket.

In a teaser clip shared by Prabhat Khabar, Shastri appeared genuinely taken aback by India’s collapse in Guwahati, where they fell from 100 for 1 to 130 for 7, a decline he thought was inexcusable given their talent and experience.

What really tipped the scales was when the interviewer asked if he was shielding Gambhir. Shastri quickly dismissed that notion, stating he would have owned up first if such a thing had occurred on his watch. The intensity in his voice made it seem like he was revisiting his coaching days, calling out players in private while facing the public scrutiny.

This chat came right after his passionate commentary during the Guwahati Test, where he questioned why Washington Sundar dropped from No. 3 in Kolkata to No. 8 and why India chose four spinners who hardly bowled. For Shastri, it’s not just about one off day. It’s a recurring theme of confused thinking that he feels is damaging India.

Why Ravi Shastri slams India’s test decline under Gautam Gambhir

Shastri’s critique comes from a strong personal connection to India’s Test history. Serving as head coach from 2017 to 2021 alongside captain Virat Kohli, Shastri managed a 65% win rate across all formats, which included India’s first Test series victory in Australia (2018-19) and another one in 2020-21.

Finally shastri ji thrashed gambhir 🔥 pic.twitter.com/LpJGEklsTb

— 𝐊𝐨𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭!𝟎𝐧_👑🚩 (@bholination) December 1, 2025

During his time, India maintained the No. 1 ICC Test ranking for 42 months (2016-2021) and made it to the first-ever World Test Championship final in 2021. At home, losses were quite rare—only two Tests were lost under Kohli’s leadership, in Pune (2017) and Chennai (2021).

Seeing the team he helped create fall apart has left Shastri feeling “miffed,” as he described it, particularly with clean sweeps at home—something that hasn’t happened since 2012. Shastri believes the downturn is not just about tactical mistakes but also a failure to utilize talent, which is a stark contrast to the “ruthless” squad he built.

Dravid took over, has built on this groundwork, achieving home series victories against Australia and England in 2023-24 and reaching another World Test Championship final, even after an early loss to South Africa. However, under Gambhir, progress has “come to a screeching halt,” with just two series wins amidst increasing losses.

Shastri’s feelings are totally valid, the stronghold he reinforced has now become a liability, showing deeper issues such as unpredictable selections and mental weakness in known conditions.