After India’s stunning 0-3 defeat against New Zealand in test series against New Zealand, the BCCI conducted a review meeting to address the issues regarding team performance, selection decisions and coaching strategies.
Rohit Sharma along with Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir attended the meeting with selectors chief Ajit Agarkar, BCCI secretary Jay Shah and President Roger Binny.
According to reports, the meeting was a necessary step in getting the team ‘back on track’ as they prepare for the Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
“It was a six-hour marathon meeting, which was obviously on cards after such a debacle. India are going on a tour of Australia, and the BCCI would obviously like to ensure that the team is back on track and would like to know how the think-tank (Gambhir-Rohit-Agarkar) are going about it,” said a senior BCCI source.
A point focussing on Gambhir’s coaching style which is reportedly distinct from that of former coach Rahul Dravid. It is believed that Gambhir’s approach might benefit Indian team in a long run as it hasn’t been seamless for everyone on the team.
But it is unclear whether Gambhir’s style was directly questioned, but sources revealed that a part of Indian team management has expressed concerns over the approach.
The question were also raised about decisions made during the test series against New Zealand, where Bumrah has been rested for the third test. The board wants the clarity behind the reason of resting ace pacer during high stake match.
The selection process has also come under scrutiny. The test inclusion of the Nitish Reddy and Harshit Rana has been topics sparked a debate in the meeting.
The source mentioned that these picks “have not been unanimous to say the least,” indicating a potential rift in opinion among selectors and management.
The Board has requested to give input on how selection could be improved to avoid such controversies in future.
As India is set to leave to Australia for BGT in two batches on November 10 and 11, the BCCI has set clear expectations for corrective measures for Indian team to regain their previous form.
