India fell to a 1-2 deficit in the five-match Test series with a 22-run loss to England at Lord's. Shubman Gill's team battled until the last day, but even Ravindra Jadeja's resolute effort couldn't help the visitors go past the line once again. Following the loss, ex-India batter Manoj Tiwary slammed head coach Gautam Gambhir for his team choices and strategy, claiming that the policy of relying on all-rounders in lieu of specialists is damaging India in the longest game. Tiwary Questions Gambhir's Team Selections While speaking to IANS, Manoj Tiwary said: "I have said earlier as well that Test cricket is a game of specialists, but we are sidelining them and trusting all-rounders more." He further said that there is always the trend of leaving out players after one or two bad games and introducing new faces from outside the team. He added: “Since Gambhir became head coach, we’ve seen frequent changes. In the India-New Zealand series, Washington Sundar was brought in from outside over Ashwin, who was already in the squad. On the Australia tour, Devdutt Padikkal and Harshit Rana played, but now Harshit is missing, and we are playing Anshul Kamboj in this Test." Also Read | What is Drift in Cricket? Sundar’s Secret Weapon Against ENG Explained Tiwary feels that these changes have brought about instability within the team. Speaking about the same, the former cricketer remarked: “There is no stability, and Gambhir seems unable to trust players for a long duration. His thinking of relying on part-time all-rounders to win Test matches is not practical. Players with experience know that Test matches demand specialists." He also faulted the exclusion of Kuldeep Yadav, stating the wrist-spinner could have been a game-changer. Tiwary said: “Kuldeep Yadav should have played in this match and the last match. Wrist-spinners have always succeeded against England because their batters struggle to pick them." Tiwary also mentioned that collapses by the top order, comprising Sai Sudharsan, KL Rahul, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored starts but were unable to score heavily, also cost India. Ever since Gautam Gambhir became the head coach in July 2024, India's Test record has declined. They have won just four, lost eight, and drawn one out of 13 Tests, dropping from No.1 to No.4 in ICC rankings. They also missed a spot in the World Test Championship final 2025 after losing a series in Australia. Gambhir, who accumulated more than 10,000 international runs and played pivotal parts in India's victories in the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 Cricket World Cup, is now being grilled hard as India's head coach. Though he was successful as a player and IPL captain, the team's recent woes in Tests have raised questions about his approach.