India, July 8 -- After India's 125-run defeat to England at Nottingham, Gautam Gambhir was asked in the press conference to respond to five losses on the bounce after the World Cup win. Before the question could be completed, the Indian head coach snapped back matter-of-factly, "four." The first of the 5-match series against England had been rained out after India posted 189.

Gambhir was being his usual boorish self with the media. Suryakumar Yadav might have been more playful with his answers but somewhere their contrasting personalities somehow clicked. In the last T20 cycle that concluded with the World Cup win, the Indian team with the duo in charge did not lose a single bilateral series.

The four recent losses suggest India's resta...