‘Coach cannot pick up the bat and play’: R Ashwin defends Gautam Gambhir after India’s shock home defeat

File Pic: Ravichandran Ashwin and Gautam Gambhir NEW DELHI: Former India off-spinner R Ashwin has come out strongly in defence of head coach Gautam Gambhir after India’s 0-2 home Test series defeat to South Africa, warning against what he called a growing urge to “find someone to blame” after big losses. India were comprehensively beaten in the two-Test series, culminating in a record 408-run defeat in Guwahati, triggering heavy criticism of Gambhir’s plans and his strategy of backing all-rounders, which some believe has unsettled the team’s balance.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!However, Ashwin dismissed calls for the coach’s removal, saying Gambhir — whose contract runs till 2027 — should not be made the fall guy. “Why are we doing this? It’s a sport. Managing a team cannot be that easy. And yes, he is hurting too. We must understand that. It might feel nice to get someone sacked, but that’s not how it should be,” Ashwin said on his YouTube show Ash ki Baat.

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He added that mistakes were inevitable but did not justify a witch-hunt. “Gautam is not my relative. I could also point out 10 mistakes. Yes, mistakes happen… but when they cost you, they become expensive. Anybody can make them.”With India’s formidable home record taking a hit, Ashwin acknowledged the need to seek accountability but insisted that the spotlight must not solely be on the coach. “We want to ask for responsibility. It’s easy, because in Indian cricket there’s a lot to gain and a lot of money involved. So many people are ready to take the job. But a coach cannot pick up the bat and go out to play.”

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Ashwin stressed that players, not just the management, must own the failure. “Put yourself in the coach’s position. You may say a player needs continuity and that there’s been rotation — fine, agreed. But the skill to play and perform is the player’s responsibility.”The former off-spinner said he had “not seen enough responsibility taken by enough players” to justify blaming Gambhir. “Decision-making can always be better, no doubt. But I personally don’t like this individual attack, because we always look for someone to blame.”