Follow UsIt has been just over a year since Gautam Gambhir took over as Team India head coach, and it’s already been a pretty successful coaching stint, with the former India opener leading the side to a dominant Champions Trophy win and also an unbeaten Asia Cup campaign. Earlier this year, India, under Gambhir, managed to draw a series away in England despite having an inexperienced side at their disposal.
However, there were some real lows before the highs, as less than three months into his tenure, the team sank to an all-time low in Tests, with India getting whitewashed in a three-plus match series at home for the first time ever. New Zealand were the ones who inflicted the shock defeat, and it also marked the first instance in 12 years of the side losing a Test series at home.
It’s almost been a whole year since that fateful series, but head coach Gambhir has no interest in ever putting that loss behind.
“If I am being honest, and speak from the heart, I don’t think that in my coaching tenure, I can ever forget that, and I should not forget that,” Gambhir told JioHotstar, reported News18.
“I have told this to the boys as well, it is important to look forward, but sometimes it is also important to remember the past as well.”
The Team India coach spoke about how he keeps reminding the dressing room about the fact that ‘New Zealand happened’.
“Everyone thought that we would roll over New Zealand. In that dressing room, we need to keep reminding that New Zealand happened,” Gambhir said.
The fateful 3-0 loss meant that India also failed to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final despite, at one point, being the overwhelming favourite to go all the way.
India have a two-match series at home against South Africa next month, a series that will pose a similar threat to the New Zealand one in 2024.