Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary criticized head coach Gautam Gambhir after the team’s 30-run defeat against South Africa in Kolkata.
Tiwary stated that veteran batsmen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma wanted to continue in Tests but were forced to retire from Test cricket due to poor team environment.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli shocked the cricket world when they announced their Test retirements in May 2025, just before India’s tour of England.
Their sudden decisions led to speculation. Young batsman Shubman Gill took over as India’s new Test captain, while Rishabh Pant was appointed as his vice-captain.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma took a step back for atmosphere – Manoj Tiwary dismisses Gautam Gambhir
Manoj Tiwary rejected Gautam Gambhir’s claim that India is going through a ‘transition phase’. He stated that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were forced to retire despite wanting to continue playing. Tiwary added that the environment created around the team pushed them out.
“This whole ‘transition phase’ talk – I don’t agree with it. India doesn’t need a transition. New Zealand or Zimbabwe need a transition. Our domestic cricket is full of talented performers waiting for opportunities,” Tiwary told India Today.
“Due to this unnecessary transition, our star players like Virat and Rohit, who wanted to continue playing Test cricket and protect its sanctity, have slowly stepped back due to the atmosphere created around them,” he added.
You can’t blame players’ technique after losing – Manoj Tiwary on Gautam Gambhir
Manoj Tiwary slammed Gautam Gambhir for pointing fingers at the players after the loss in Calcutta. Tiwary said he had to focus on guiding the team rather than questioning their technique. He added that Gambhir should have used his experience to help the team.
“You can’t blame players’ technique after losing. As a coach, your job is to teach, not blame. If the batters didn’t have a solid defense, why weren’t they trained before the match? When he played, Gambhir himself was a good spin player, so he should teach more. The results are not in India’s favor,” he added.
India are under a lot of pressure ahead of the second Test in Guwahati
India will go into the second Test in Guwahati under heavy pressure after the defeat in Kolkata. They need a win to avoid a home series loss. With the rank turner proving to be costly at Eden Gardens, attention has now shifted to which surface they will choose as the decider.
The loss saw India drop to fourth in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings, while South Africa climbed to second after winning the series opener.
Many stated that India had made a miscalculation by demanding a dry, twisty track which ultimately helped the visiting spinners. The Men in Blue in particular suffered a 0-3 defeat against New Zealand on the curves last year.
Gautam Gambhir defended his team by pointing out that the team is still young and undergoing major changes. Senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and R. Ashwin withdrew from the format soon after Cheteshwar Pujara, Ishant Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane were phased out.
Also read: Gautam Gambhir’s stunning conversation with Eden Gardens curator goes viral after pitch controversy
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