After the first Test loss in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, is it time for Indian cricket to look for separate coaches for Red and white-ball cricket?

For the first time in Test match cricket history, a team scoring 5 centuries in the course of the match ends up on the losing side. This is indeed a shocking result for Team India after dominating most part of the Test match at Leeds.

Was it poor strategy or bad luck that saw India trailing in the 5 match Test series 0-1?

Introduction

After an excellent batting performance from the top order, the Indian team was unable to pile on the expected big first innings runs which could have potentially batted the opposition out of the competition on Day 1 of the Test match.

In both the innings, the Indian middle and lower order batting failed. The Indian bowlers too were guilty of conceding too many runs and unable to take wickets to close the game.

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir will face severe criticism from fans and the selectors after this loss to England in Headingly.

Is it time for Indian cricket to have different coaches for different formats?

Indian Test cricket is currently going through a lean patch under the coach Gautam Gambhir.

Gautam Gambhir has seen great success in the shorter format of the game, both in T20 and ODI format by winning the ICC T20 World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy. While these are great achievements for a young Coach who not long ago took the mantle from the legendary Rahul Dravid as the Head Coach for Team India.

With his success in the White ball format, there is no question about Gautam’s competency in the shorter format, but Test cricket requires a whole new set of skills, which Gautam presently lacks.

India’s first home Test series defeat to New Zealand and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series loss to Australia saw India out of the 2023-25 World Test Championship final.

Gambhir’s Test Record Under Scrutiny

In the 11 Tests played under Coach Gambhir

India has won only 3 matches, Lost 7 matches and drawn 1.

India’s only series win during this period came against Bangladesh at home.

While the defeat in Headingley cannot be fully blamed on the Head coach, there were times when the game was in India’s control, but the players let the opportunity go by with some poor captaincy and poor strategic moves from the think tank.

Many fans and experts are beginning to question whether Gambhir is the right man for the Test Coach role?

The first criticism of Gambhir would be the Team selection and his role in building up a team since becoming the coach.
- If the head coach has a say in the selection, then he should take the blame when the team does not perform.

Once the squad is announced, The head coach along with the captain makes the big call of selecting the playing eleven.
- Gautam had the additional freedom to choose the final eleven with a new captain on board.

Gautam cannot be fully blamed for India’s batting collapses or for the bowlers’ inability to take wickets to close the game. But there were instances in the game, when Team India faltered strategically in both departments. That blame can entirely be put on the Head coach.

Captain Shubman Gill too looked clueless when the English batsmen were hammering India all over the ground. Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul were doing most of the leadership role.

Did the coach and captain select a team which could take 20 wickets? Was India over relying on Jasprit Bumrah?

India’s bowling looked below par when Bumrah went wicketless in the second innings.

The selection of Shardul Thakur ahead of Nitish Kumar Reddy made no cricket sense. Even after his selection in the team, Shardul was given only 6 overs in the first innings when other bowlers, (except Bumrah) were found wanting on the Headingley wicket. India’s bowling strategy allowed England to come back in the cricket match in the first innings, and eventually became a key reason for India’s loss in the first Test.

Gambhir was not ready to accept this mistake in the post-match presser and was trying to defend his selection.

Rather than finding excuses, accepting responsibility and bringing course corrections should be the virtue of any good coach.

Gambhir’s Future as Test Coach for the National Team

Many nations have been successful in the two-coach system in cricket.

While it is too early for the call, there will be a case for BCCI to look at the option of coaches for different formats, depending on how India performs in the Anderson Tendulkar Trophy series.

Will India see changes in the Playing Eleven in the Second Test and an Improved Approach from the Coach?

India’s inability to take 20 wickets will prompt some knee-jerk corrections in the playing eleven, especially if Jasprit Bumrah misses the second Test.

Conclusion – From the Editor’s Desk

Different formats require different skill sets and strategies. Having separate coaches could allow more focused training and preparation for each format. It can avoid burnout, and coaches can constantly focus on their assigned format. It can bring in new ideas and a better approach to the game, and not be restricted to one person’s understanding of how cricket should be run.

Cricketing Greats like Ravichandran Ashwin had to prematurely end his Test career as he was sidelined by players who were better in the shorter format of the game, and was given the first go in Test too.

There is still speculation of why Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired just before the England series. Was it about their equation with Gautam Gambhir?

Multiple format coaches could have taken care of such ego issues amongst seniors.

Different Coaches would have allowed India to be more flexible with having specialist players playing in different formats of the game. Thus, favoritism could be easily avoided, which looks to have plagued Indian cricket for some time now.

Subhman Gill would have never become the captain of the Indian Test Team if there was a separate Coach for Test matches.

Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Shami could have been in the squad too. It is a matter of which coach lens’ the game is seen.

India’s IPL and strong domestic cricket structure should force more youngsters to be part of the Indian squad. India has the ability to field three different teams for the three formats and still be the best in the world. Currently a single coach and the current selection team approach restricts this process.

BCCI is not currently leaning towards a split-coaching model. But It is quite possible that Gautam Gambhir, may look to build separate teams for different formats.

Watch this space for more.

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