India, Feb. 5 -- The steep fall in performance of the Indian team in Test cricket isn't hidden from anyone. From being the best touring team not too long ago to struggling to win Test matches at home, the decline has been well-documented. In October 2024, India lost their first Test series on home soil after 12 years, getting blanked 0-3 by New Zealand, and just a couple of months ago, South Africa inflicted another 2-0 whitewash against the two-time World Test Championship finalists.

The one man who's faced the most flak is head coach Gautam Gambhir. With the team in transition, Gambhir has absorbed blow after blow while standing up for his players, even as the narrative has hardened into one that pins every setback in Indian cricket on...