5 times Gautam Gambhir made a scathing statement in the press conference since taking over as India head coach

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir has dominated the headlines over the past year as he comes to grips with the role. Arguably, the most challenging position in the Indian cricket ecosystem, the former left-hander has struggled to keep his emotions in check on more than one occasion in press conferences.

Never one to shy away from speaking his mind, Gambhir has made several scathing remarks to reporters irrespective of the team's results. It hasn't helped that the side has struggled to meet expectations in the traditional red-ball format since he took over as head coach.

The Asian giants suffered humiliating home Test series whitewashes against New Zealand and South Africa, while also surrendering the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia at the end of last year. Despite other impressive results like the drawn Test series in England and innumerable white-ball successes, Gambhir's year-and-a-half tenure as head coach has been a mixed bag at best.

On that note, here are five times Gautam Gambhir made a scathing statement in the press conference since becoming India's head coach.

#1 Where are the 'facts'?

Gautam Gambhir's most recent fiery press conference saw him going after the overall media for not bringing out the facts after India's first Test defeat to South Africa in Kolkata. The Indian coach slammed the media for their criticism of him without mentioning the circumstances the team faced in their 30-run defeat in the contest.

For the uninitiated, skipper Shubman Gill retired hurt on four in the first innings and did not participate with the bat or on the field the rest of the Test match.

"There were a lot of talks after the results didn't go our way, but what no one mentioned was that we played the first Test without a captain. We didn’t have a leader who could bat in both innings, and that made all the difference. The loss came down to a matter of a few runs, and yet, no one pointed that out. Losing your captain, who’s an in-form batter and a leader, against a strong South African team made the task even harder. Yet, none of the media reports focused on this important aspect," said Gambhir (via Business Standard).

Unfortunately for India, the second Test also did not go their way, with the margin only increasing to an embarrassing 408 runs in Guwahati.

#2 The Eden Gardens pitch row

Staying with the forgettable Eden Gardens Test against South Africa, Gautam Gambhir immediately defended the pitch after the loss. Instead, he laid blame on the batters for their lack of application in failing to chase 124 for victory.

"This is what [the pitch] we asked for. This is what we got. I thought the curator was very supportive. And I still believe, irrespective of how the wicket was, 124 was chaseable. When you don’t play well, this is what happens. I don’t think this was that difficult a wicket. It was just a challenge of your technique, mental toughness, and temperament. Because if you are looking to grind, if you are looking to bat long, then you can make runs. But if you are in an attacking mindset, then it is difficult," said Gambhir (via Sportstar).

Despite Gambhir's claims that the Kolkata pitch was not unplayable, both teams scored under 200 across the four innings. Furthermore, only South African skipper Temba Bavuma scored a half-century across both sides.

#3 Scathing attack on Ricky Ponting

One of Gautam Gambhir's first press conferences as India's head coach came ahead of the challenging Australian tour at the end of last year. Team India was coming off a shocking 0-3 home Test series loss to New Zealand, resulting in former Australian captain Ricky Ponting questioning Virat Kohli's place in the side.

However, Gambhir responded by questioning Ponting's right to comment on anything related to Indian cricket.

"What does Ricky Ponting have to do with Indian cricket? He should be talking about Australia. Look, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are still passionate about the game and want to achieve more. They are hungry for success and have done exceptionally well for the country over the years," said Gambhir (via Sportstar).

Despite the backing from the head coach, the legendary duo struggled in the Test series down under, which ultimately became their final red-ball games for India.

#4 Defiant self-defense with an attack on the media

With the pressure mounting after a second home Test series whitewash in his tenure, Gautam Gambhir was asked about continuing as India's red-ball coach after the recent South African series. His response relied heavily on self-defense, pointing to how quickly the media forgets about the several excellent results during his stint.

"It is up to BCCI to decide. I'm the same guy who got results in England as well, with a young team. And I'm sure you guys will forget very soon because a lot of people keep talking about New Zealand. And I'm the same guy under whom [we] won the Champions Trophy and Asia Cup as well," he stated (via ESPN Cricinfo).

India, under Gambhir, has won only two out of their six Test series, with both coming at home against the lowly Bangladesh and the West Indies.

#5 Dodging the Rohit Sharma bullet

The Sydney Test against Australia at the start of the year remains one of the most painful memories in Indian cricket. With India already trailing 1-2 heading into the contest, following the New Zealand series whitewash, off-field turmoil took over.

Skipper Rohit Sharma did not address the media on the eve of the Sydney Test, with the head coach doing the honors.

When asked about the same, Gambhir responded to the reporters (via ESPN Cricinfo):

"The head coach is here. That should be enough. Everything is fine with Rohit."

As anticipated, Rohit dropped himself for the Sydney Test despite being India's captain. However, the move made little difference as India suffered a six-wicket defeat and lost the series 1-3.