Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as the head coach of Team India did not start in a good way. Expectations were high from the former India opener when he replaced Rahul Dravid as head coach in July last year.

The Indian great was contacted by the BCCI after his success as a coach in the IPL. Under his guidance, Kolkata Knight Riders played an exciting brand of cricket and won the IPL after a decade. However, things have not gone as expected for Gautam Gambhir since he became India’s head coach.

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Bottom line, India lost the ODI series to Sri Lanka. It was followed by a humiliating 3-0 series defeat at home against New Zealand. It was India’s first Test defeat at home since the 2012/13 season. India had a chance to bounce back by winning the Test series in Australia but fell short as they lost 3-1.

The defeat ended India’s chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship finals for the third time in a row. India also lost the Test series against Australia for the first time since 2017. Unsurprisingly, Gautam Gambhir is facing heat from several quarters.

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Brendon McCullum defends Gautam Gambhir:

As the Indian head coach looks to make a comeback, he has received much-needed help from his England counterpart Brendon McCullum.

Speaking to the media ahead of the first T20I between India and England, McCullum defended Gautam Gambhir and hailed him as a great captain. He also said that Gambhir is just starting out as a head coach, which means it is too early to judge him.

“Gautam Gambhir is a great leader. For India, he is just getting started as a head coach,” said Brendon McCullum.

After defending Gambhir, McCullum changed his mind about the upcoming series against India. England are scheduled to play 5 T20Is and 3 ODIs against the Men in Blue. The tour starts with the T20I series this week.

Ahead of the series, McCullum hailed India as the best side and made sure to warn the hosts. The former New Zealand captain warned India not to take England’s batting line-up lightly, saying: “India is a very good side. But our batting line-up is as strong as international cricket.”

He added that England would not be shy about playing exciting cricket, saying: “We will play a game with a lot of spectators.”

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Meanwhile, the first T20I between India and England will be played on Wednesday (January 22) at the Eden Gardens.