The Indian men’s cricket team might soon see a structural change in its coaching approach, with separate coaches for Test and white-ball formats, especially if the upcoming five-match Test series against Australia ends unfavourably. According to a report by *Dainik Jagran* on November 9, a significant loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy following India’s recent 0-3 defeat at home against New Zealand could prompt the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to split the coaching roles between formats.
Gautam Gambhir currently serves as head coach across all formats, but the board is reportedly considering a red-ball and white-ball coaching split rather than an outright replacement. National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman, who is currently coaching India in South Africa for the T20I series, is speculated to take charge of the Test squad.
Gautam Gambhir would continue leading the white-ball teams if this restructuring takes place. Historically, India has relied on a single head coach to ensure continuity across formats. However, both England and Pakistan have previously experimented with dual-coach models.
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England adopted separate coaches for two years before reassigning Brendon McCullum as the head coach for both formats. Pakistan also briefly assigned Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie as head coaches for white-ball and Test cricket, respectively, though Kirsten stepped down before leading his first ODI.
The BCCI could go with different coaches in white ball and red ball if India loses the Border Gavaskar Trophy badly. (Dainik Jagran). pic.twitter.com/4gMj2XRrTN
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 9, 2024
A recent review meeting, lasting six hours and attended by key BCCI officials including secretary Jay Shah, President Roger Binny, captain Rohit Sharma, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, and head coach Gambhir, reportedly covered India’s recent performance, especially the team’s strategy for preparing rank-turner pitches and the decision to rest Jasprit Bumrah in the third Test against New Zealand.
Gambhir’s coaching methods were reviewed, and the board addressed concerns about his approach and alignment with the selection and strategy preferences of India’s think tank, especially with a challenging Test series against Australia approaching.
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A lack of consensus over Gambhir’s selection decisions ahead of the Australia series has sparked internal discussions. The BCCI’s potential move to adopt a specialized coaching model could enhance India’s strategic depth across formats, ensuring that both Test and white-ball squads receive targeted preparation to meet the evolving demands of international cricket.
