Rohit Sharma and Co. have the difficult task of trying to get on track for the next mission and put the recent whitewashing of the home Test series to the fore. New Zealand on the back burner. India will soon prepare for the five-Test series in Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy; although the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is in no mood to let the embarrassing defeat against New Zealand slide. Head coach Gautam Gambhir is all set to be quizzed on his vision for the team as the BCCI is set to review the journey taken and the road ahead after India’s poor show, which saw the hosts suffer a Test series whitewash at home for the first time (in a series comprising three or more matches).

According to a report in Times of India, the pitches used in Pune and Mumbai will be questioned, as well as the way the current management runs the team. According to the report, it is important to mention that during Rahul Dravid’s tenure as head coach, the management had tried to remove rank turners, as proven on the sporting grounds during the England series played in February-March this year. All five Tests in the England series lasted at least four days.

However, the current management resorted to U-turns after Rohit and his team lost the first Test by eight wickets in Bengaluru. The skipper misinterpreted the conditions of the first day – and he openly admitted it – and chose to sail under overcast skies. India were bowled out for 46 runs in their first innings, from where there was no comeback. It turns out the new information emerging now is that not everyone in the leadership group was on the same page when it came to playing on the rankings changes.

“The decision to go back to rank turners has surprised a few people on the board. The new support staff under Gautam Gambhir will be asked about their vision to take the team forward,” TOI quoted a source as saying.

HT, however, could not independently verify the development.

Gambhir’s role in selection meetings under scrutiny

According to the same report, there is also some dissatisfaction over head coach Gambhir’s participation in selection meetings. It is important to mention that the members of the current coaching team were employed on Gambhir’s suggestions and support.

“The BCCI has agreed to all of Gambhir’s requests so far. He has been provided with support staff of his choice despite the BCCI’s policy of promoting coaches they have trained through the NCA programme. He has also been allowed to attend the selection meeting to choose the team for the Australia tour, the board may have to reconsider its decisions and ask Gambhir for a road map,” TOI quoted the source as saying. .

The BCCI is also looking at the impending transition after the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India’s road to the World Test Championship (WTC) final became tougher after the 0-3 loss to New Zealand as they now need to win 4-0 or 5-0 in Australia to qualify for the final, without depending on other results. If Rohit’s team fails to do so, it would be the first time India has failed to qualify for the WTC final, since the concept was inception in 2019.

As for the results against New Zealand, the first match of the series saw the Indian batters unable to cope with the overcast conditions in the first innings, and the hosts were bundled out for their lowest Test score at home in Bengaluru. The Pune and Mumbai Tests then saw Indian batters struggle against the turning tracks, with the likes of Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel going on a rampage and finishing both matches in less than three days.