India have been lauded at many points for their performances during the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy but the fact remains that a defeat in the final Test at the Oval would make it a third consecutive Test series loss for India. India had lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia 3-1 earlier this year, a result that confirmed their first-ever failure to make it to the World Test Championship final, before which they shockingly lost 3-0 at home to New Zealand. All of these defeats have come with Gautam Gambhir as head coach and former England captain Mike Atherton feels that this would put the former India opener under pressure, even though he has also led India to victory in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
“Well, they’ve lost two series in a row. They lost at home to New Zealand 3-0, and they lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1. If they lose this series, then yeah, he’s under pressure as a coach,” said Atherton on Sky Sports.
“India, with all their resources, their population strength, they’re not a team that people are patient with. They’re expected to win every time they walk onto the park. So three Test series defeats in a row would be a problem for him,” Atherton added.
‘Haven’t seen Gautam Gambhir under pressure from his playing days’
India captain Shubman Gill was asked on the eve of the fifth Test if Gambhir’s altercation with the pitch curator at the Oval was a reflection of the fact that the Indian head coach was feeling the pressure. Gill, however, brushed away that notion, stating that it was merely a response to the Indian team management not being allowed to take a look at the pitch from close proximity.
India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had also said earlier that Gambhir is not feeling any kind of pressure. “He is not under pressure. The series has been competitive, and both teams have played well. The series opener and the third Test could have gone either way. All the matches went to the fifth day, and it has been a brilliant series. I haven’t seen Gautam Gambhir under pressure from his playing days till now,” he said.
