BCCI's 6-hour review meeting on India 3-0 loss to NZ: Bumrah's absence, Gambhir's coaching & more questioned

By Sunita Iyer | First Published Nov 9, 2024, 11:06 AM IST

The review meeting, lasting over six hours, included BCCI President Roger Binny, Secretary Jay Shah, India’s skipper Rohit Sharma, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, and head coach Gautam Gambhir, who joined online.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently conducted an in-depth review following India’s unexpected 0-3 loss to New Zealand, including key decisions like selecting a rank turner for the Mumbai Test and the decision to rest pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. The review meeting, lasting over six hours, included BCCI President Roger Binny, Secretary Jay Shah, India’s skipper Rohit Sharma, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, and head coach Gautam Gambhir, who joined online.

The meeting reportedly examined several decisions made by the team management during the series. Gambhir’s coaching style, which differs markedly from that of his predecessor, Rahul Dravid, was a focal point of discussion.

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"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," a senior BCCI source privy to development was quoted as saying in a PTI report.

The absence of Bumrah, India’s vice-captain and lead bowler, from the third Test was a major talking point. Despite the management citing his rest as a precautionary measure, BCCI officials expressed concerns given the team’s struggles on rank-turning pitches. A similar surface in Pune had seen India falter, yet the same strategy was employed in Mumbai, raising further questions.

"Bumrah's absence was discussed although it was a precautionary move. Opting for a rank turner despite India not faring well on these tracks are some of the issues that came up for discussion," the source told the news agency.

The trio was asked to provide suggestions on possible corrective measures for the team moving forward.

While it's unclear if Gambhir's coaching style was directly questioned during the review, it is understood that some members of the Indian team’s think tank may not entirely align with the chief coach’s approach.

The selections of T20 specialist all-rounder Nitish Reddy and rookie pacer Harshit Rana, who have only 10 Ranji Trophy matches between them, have reportedly sparked disagreement within the selection committee.

The Indian team is set to depart for Australia in two groups, with flights scheduled for November 10 and 11.

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