Photo Credit: Instagram Photo of @indiancricketteam
Team India, historically dominant at home, faced a surprising defeat against New Zealand earlier this month, losing the three-match series 0-3 and becoming the first Indian team to be whitewashed in a home bilateral series (3+ Tests).
Entering the series with an unbroken record of 12 years without a home series loss, India was outplayed by a professional New Zealand side in all three Tests, leading to a humiliating defeat. The whitewash has also affected India‘s chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Following the loss, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar called for introspection, emphasizing the need for reflection after such a rare defeat. Reports suggest that the BCCI held a six-hour review meeting to analyze the performance, with captain Rohit Sharma involved in the discussions.
“A six-hour marathon meeting was held. It was obviously on the 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,” a senior BCCI official said.
One topic of discussion during the meeting was the decision to rest Jasprit Bumrah for the third Test at the Wankhede. While the official BCCI statement cited a “viral illness” for his absence, there were reports that Bumrah was rested to manage his workload.
“It appears the selectors weren’t informed about Bumrah’s sudden exit before the Test,” a BCCI source reported. “And this communication gap was highlighted to BCCI leadership. There must be better communication all around. All must be on the same page.”
The start of the ‘Gambhir era’ as head coach has been difficult, with India also losing a bilateral ODI series to Sri Lanka earlier this year. If the team does not perform well in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the management will come under increased scrutiny.
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
