South Africa inflicted another clean sweep on India on Wednesday, as Temba Bavuma's side secured a 2-0 series win with emphatic wins in Kolkata and Guwahati.
The Indian team was outplayed across departments, with Simon Harmer leading the charge for the Proteas with four-fers in both matches, while Tristan Stubbs top-scored with 163 runs.
Add AllSportsPeople as a preferred news source
As India suffers another home series defeat, calls for sacking coach Gautam Gambhir have intensified.
Will Gautam Gambhir be sacked after the South Africa series?
The Indian head coach is under scrutiny following two clean sweeps at home in consecutive years, at the hands of New Zealand and South Africa, respectively.
When asked if he is still the right man to continue as India's head coach in the Test format during a press conference after the Guwahati Test, Gambhir had a reserved response.
"It is for the BCCI to decide," he said, while also reminding the reporters about his achievements, "I’m same guy under whom India did well in England, won the Champions Trophy and won the Asia Cup."
Ahead of the New Zealand series in 2024, India was unbeaten at home for 12 years and 18 series, while the Proteas had recorded their last Test win in India in February 2010.
According to the Indian Express reports, BCCI is unlikely to sack Gambhir and he is expected to stay atleast till his contract ends in 2027.
"The BCCI will not rush in taking any decision, the team is in a transition phase. As far as coach Gautam Gambhir is concerned, we will not take any decision on him as the World Cup is around the corner and his contract is till the 2027 World Cup. The BCCI will speak to selectors and team management going ahead but there won’t be any knee jerk action," a BCCI official told the Indian Express.
Gambhir has a record of five losses and four wins (two wins vs Bangladesh and West Indies each) in the last two home seasons. Experts and fans are questioning whether he is the right fit for India, especially in red-ball cricket.
MORE: Which cities will host T20 World Cup 2026? List of eight stadiums chosen by ICC for the world event
India have played all four SENA countries under Gambhir's tenure and are yet to win a series against any of them, but has done well in white-ball cricket, clinching the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and the Asia Cup 2025.
As things stand, Gambhir could get summoned by the decision-makers, where he might even get sacked from the red-ball coaching role, while keeping his job in white-ball cricket.
With the T20 World Cup coming up, Test cricket will take a back seat till the second half of 2026. So, the BCCI may take their time before making any decisions on the matter.
India's Test record under Gautam Gambhir
| Series | Score line |
|---|---|
| India vs Bangladesh (2 Tests at home) | India won 2-0 |
| India vs New Zealand (3 Tests at home) | New Zealand won 3-0 |
| India vs Australia (5 Tests away from home) | Australia won 3-1 |
| India vs England (5 Tests away from home) | Series tied 2-2 |
| India vs West Indies (2 Tests at home) | India won 2-0 |
| India vs South Africa (2 Tests at home) | South Africa won 2-0 |
| Total | 7W, 10L, 2D |
Related Links:
- India schedule at T20 World Cup 2026
- IPL 2026 Auction: Date, Players List, Rules &; Mini-Auction Preview
- All the latest cricket news