“His stubbornness and personality don’t warm up to anybody” - Former cricketer blasts Gautam Gambhir amid ENG vs IND 2025 4th Test

England v India - 1st Rothesay Test Match: Day Five - Source: Getty
Team India have struggled in the red-ball format under Gautam Gambhir [Credit: Getty]

Former England pacer Steve Harmison launched a scathing attack on Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir after the third day of the fourth Test at Manchester. Team India entered the match trailing 1-2 in the best-of-five series despite competing hard in all three games.

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However, they have been dismal on the second and third days of the ongoing fourth Test, especially with the ball. After posting 358 in their first innings, the Indian bowlers have been a massive letdown as England have raced to 544/7 at stumps on Day 3.

It means India are on the brink of a third consecutive Test series under Gambhir in the past year. After he took over as head coach, the side has won only four out of their 13 Tests, with two of them coming at home against Bangladesh.

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Talking about Gambhir on the talkSPORT Cricket YouTube channel ahead of Day 4, Harmison said (15:45):

"His stubbornness and his personality don't warm up to anybody from the outside. He is not the sort of character or personality who can sweet-talk his way out of things."

He continued:

"Gautam Gambhir, as long as you win at home, you can get away with a few defeats away from home. But when you get beaten 3-0 against New Zealand at home and then you lose both the Border-Gavaskar and Anderson-Tendulkar, getting on a plane and going back to India, you are going to get pelters from everywhere."
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Team India failed to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final in the 2023-25 cycle. It was their first pre-final elimination in tournament history, having finished runners-up in 2021 and 2023.

"He will show his teeth, he will snarl and dig a deeper hole" - Steve Harmison on Gautam Gambhir

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Steve Harmison believes Gautam Gambhir's personality will only make things worse for India moving forward. While the side has struggled massively in the long format under him, India have been in red-hot form in the white-ball formats.

They recently won the 2025 Champions Trophy in Dubai, defeating New Zealand in the title clash.

"He will show his teeth, he will snarl, and he will, if anything, dig a deeper hole or bring the bunker even further over the top. And I don't think he can, with this team, because I am not sure how long Jasprit Bumrah has got left if you keep bowling him the way he is bowling," said Harmison (via the aforementioned source).

India have not won a Test series in England since 2007, with three of their last four red-ball tours to the UK ending in defeat.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran
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