"They picked a team not to lose" - Former stumper questions Gautam Gambhir over team selection in ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Former keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik reckons that Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Shubman Gill were too defensive with their team selection during the Test series in England. Without being too critical on new captain Gill, Karthik opined that Gambhir seems to be running the show as of now and hence must be ready to accept both bouquets and brickbats.

The young Indian team lead by Gill achieved an impressive 2-2 draw in England against a strong opposition. Down 1-2 in the series heading into the last match at The Oval, they sneaked home to a six-run win in the fifth Test to draw level.

Despite India earning a credible draw, Karthik opined that head coach Gambhir will have to think hard about the policy of adding cushion to the batting by compromising on bowling strength. Speaking on Cricbuzz, he said:

"He has taken control of the team I feel. He is the driving force of this team with Shubman. The one thing that I feel he can do is almost look at being serious about picking 20 wickets as much as he feels depth in batting [is important]. He’s a terrific white-ball coach and the results have been there for us to see. But, in Test cricket, he is also learning on the job. "You could almost argue they picked a team not to lose. He is now getting his way, so he will be responsible for everything that happens in the Indian team. If it does well, credit to him. If it doesn’t do well, he should put his hands up and say, ‘we made a mistake’," the 40-year-old went on to add.

With Gambhir as head coach, Team India suffered a 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand at home - a first in their Test history. They also lost the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia by a 3-1 margin and failed to reach the final of the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC).

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"Bumrah will be proud of young bowling attack" - Dinesh Karthik on pacer's workload management in ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Apart from team selection, Jasprit Bumrah's workload management was also a big topic of debate during the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. As decided prior to the series, the pacer played three of the five matches. While there have been mixed views over the ploy, Karthik backed the fast bowler and also dismissed the theory of India winning more matches when he doesn't play. He told Cricbuzz:

"You have to look at it from Jasprit Bumrah’s point of view. I think, these kind of wins, the way the series has panned out, the way the young team has fought, it will actually help him in his career. I believe Jasprit Bumrah will be very proud of this young bowling attack. "The stat of India winning when he doesn’t play is not his mistake. He is so impactful that others pale in comparison. I hope he will have a longer career, knowing he can pick and choose matches. Two back injuries, one nasty ACL that he had, it’s not easy," the 40-year-old added.

Despite playing only three of the five Tests, Bumrah finished as the joint-fourth leading wicket-taker in the series. In five innings, he claimed 14 scalps at an average of 26, with two five-wicket hauls.

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Edited by Renin Wilben Albert