The Indian team suffered their first-ever shutout in home Tests, comprising three or more matches, when New Zealand defeated them by 25 runs in the final match in Mumbai on Sunday (November 3). Having already conceded a 2-0 lead, Rohit Sharma-led India were determined to finish on a high note and needed just 147 to win. However, the home team collapsed for 121 on the third day and suffered a humiliating whitewash. So, the BCCI is expected to discuss the series loss in detail and one of the topics will be the pitches used in the second and third Tests, in Pune and Mumbai respectively.

After the first Test in Bangalore, which India lost by eight wickets, the pitches used for Pune and Mumbai were spin-friendly (despite Indian batting’s spin problems). During the tenure of current coach Gautam Gambhir’s predecessor Rahul Dravid, India opposed the success of ranking turners in home Tests. However, it appears that Gambhir returned to tactics, despite resistance from the majority of the team management including senior players, during the New Zealand series. This decision, however, saw India pay a heavy price with double defeats.

“The decision to go back to rank turners 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,” a source was quoted as saying by the Times of India .

Gambhir took over as India coach in July, taking over from Dravid. He was given carte blanche in the selection of his support staff, where he brought in several outsiders (which was reportedly not the BCCI’s preference). Moreover, the former India opener got a rare seat in the selection committee meeting for the upcoming tour of Australia.

However, an ODI series defeat in Sri Lanka and a series humiliation at home against New Zealand clearly suggest that things are not looking bright for Gambhir and his team. BCCI will be closely monitoring their team’s progress and several questions could be raised in the future if India’s fortunes do not change starting with the all-important tour of Australia.