Sports

Watson Blames Gambhir’s Frequent Line‑up Changes for India’s Inconsistency

By Jyotirmoy Halder

Former Australian all‑rounder Shane Watson criticised India head coach Gautam Gambhir, saying that the frequent changes to the playing XI and batting order have undermined the team’s consistency across formats. Since taking over in mid‑2024, Gambhir has led India to Champions Trophy and T20 World Cup titles, but the side has struggled in other competitions, losing home Test series to New Zealand and South Africa and suffering defeats in ODI and T20I cricket.

Watson said on Prime Video’s YouTube channel that "the thing that you continue to see and the reason India have been inconsistent under Gambhir is the chopping and changing around the batting order all the time. Players are coming in and out always, and when the team is unsettled, be it the batting order or players coming in and out, that just makes it more difficult for the team to be consistent. That’s why India have been so inconsistent."

Despite his criticism, Watson praised Gambhir’s support for players, citing wicket‑keeper‑batter Sanju Samson. He noted that Samson delivered key performances in the T20 World Cup knock‑out matches after receiving the coach’s backing, saying "there are a lot of incredible things that Gambhir has brought to the Indian setup…With the backing of players like Sanju Samson, Gambhir has done wonders for Samson. Samson repaid him and did some amazing things in the backend of the T20 World Cup. So there are a lot of great things Gambhir has brought."

Watson added that India need more stability and time for players to settle into their roles, arguing that "there is too much chopping and changing around the players under Gambhir. There needs to be a little more continuity there, and for world cricket, if they do that, they are going to be ridiculously hard to beat."

In recent match action, India lost a high‑scoring T20I to the West Indies in Ranchi, falling six wickets short after the visitors chased a target of 250 to level the five‑match series 1‑1. Shai Hope remained unbeaten on 102 off 45 balls, while Sherfane Rutherford hit 84 off 37 deliveries, and the pair built a 120‑run partnership. Earlier, Sanju Samson had scored 82 off 41 balls to help India post 249‑5. The teams will contest the third T20I in Indore on Sunday before India begin an extensive all‑format tour of New Zealand.