Watson slams Gambhir's 'chopping and changing' as India left 'unsettled'

Watson questions Gambhir's revolving-door selections

Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has launched a blunt critique of India head coach Gautam Gambhir, arguing that relentless tinkering with the playing XI and batting order has robbed the side of consistency.

"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," Watson said on Prime Video's YouTube channel. "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."

Titles but also troubling blanks

Since taking over as head coach in mid-2024, Gambhir has presided over major triumphs, guiding India to Champions Trophy and T20 World Cup titles. Yet the team has stumbled elsewhere, suffering home Test series defeats against New Zealand and South Africa, and also losing in ODI and T20I cricket.

Praise for backing players

Watson was not wholly negative. He acknowledged the coach's willingness to back individuals, singling out wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, who delivered important performances in the T20 World Cup knockout matches after receiving Gambhir's backing.

"There are a lot of incredible things that Gambhir has brought to the Indian setup. There is no question about that. 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.

A call for continuity

Despite that praise, Watson insisted India need to grant players more stability and time to settle into defined roles.

"My belief is 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," Watson said.

The warning lands with India fresh from a six-wicket defeat to West Indies in Ranchi that laid bare the very inconsistency Watson describes.