"Everyone thought we could just roll them over…” - ‘Shocked’ Gautam Gambhir admits India took New Zealand test series at home for granted

Gautam Gambhir said that the memory of test series loss against New Zealand is close to his heart.

Indian Cricket Team head coach Gautam Gambhir admitted that the test series defeat at home against New Zealand last year is etched in his memory and he can never forget that. The Black Caps whitewashed the hosts by a margin of 3-0, handing India their first-ever series defeat at home in 12 years.

India, who were led by Rohit Sharma in that series, also suffered a clean sweep for the first time in over 24 years. The Kiwis dominated India in all three games, winning the opening game by eight wickets, second match by 113 runs, and the third clash by 25 runs.

The loss hampered India’s journey to the final of ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25. Notably, it was the second test assignment for Gambhir, who took over as the head coach of India in July 2024. He guided India to a test series victory against Bangladesh in his first assignment.

That New Zealand loss was a bit of a shock: Gautam Gambhir

During an interview with Star Sports, Gambhir said that he can never forget the loss against New Zealand. He also revealed how he urged Indian players to remember the defeat, which will help them to never take things for granted in future.

“That New Zealand loss was a bit of a shock – it still is very close to my heart. As a coach, I can never forget that, nor should I. I’ve told this to the boys as well – it’s important to look forward, but sometimes it’s equally important to remember the past. Because when you forget the past, you start taking things for granted. You should never take anything for granted,” he said.

“I felt that against New Zealand, everyone thought we could just roll them over – and that’s the reality of sport. For me, in that dressing room, we need to keep reminding the boys that New Zealand happened. That’s one of the reasons why we don’t want to give an inch to the opposition now,” Gambhir added.

Meanwhile, India have made a decent start in ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle under Gambhir. With a win percentage (PCT) of 55.56, they grab the third spot in the points table, with three victories, two defeats, and one draw across six matches.

Shubman Gill, who was appointed as the new test captain in May, led the team to a 2-2 draw against England in his first assignment. In the ongoing test series against West Indies, India won the opening game by an innings and 140 runs and lead the two-match series 1-0.

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