The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has signaled it will resist any immediate, drastic changes following the national team’s disappointing Test series whitewash against South Africa at home—the second such sweep in 12 months.
Despite the setback, the BCCI is opting against a “knee-jerk reaction,” preferring instead to hold discussions with the national selectors and the team management in the coming days. According to a BCCI official, the board intends to stick with the current group of players it has been backing, citing a “transition phase” within the squad.
The decision comes even as Head Coach Gautam Gambhir left his future for the board to decide when asked if he was the right man to continue in the Test format. However, the BCCI official confirmed that no immediate decision will be taken on Gambhir, whose contract runs until the 2027 World Cup and who is simultaneously preparing the team for the upcoming World Cup.
The defeat against South Africa marks India’s third Test series loss in the past year under Gambhir’s tenure, following earlier losses to New Zealand (home) and Australia (away). The team’s overall strategy has faced intense scrutiny, particularly the manipulation of playing conditions to favor spin, which ironically exposed the weaknesses in the Indian batsmen’s technique against seam bowling, notably in the loss to South Africa.
Gambhir, while accepting collective responsibility for the loss, pointed to key tactical failures, lamenting the team’s disastrous collapse on Day 3 of the second Test. “From 95 for 1 to 120 for 7. It’s not acceptable,” he stated, highlighting how the cluster of lost wickets handed the advantage to South Africa.
Though the board has ruled out major changes to the squad, a meeting is expected to be convened after the South Africa series concludes to discuss the long-term way forward for the Test team. Gambhir also alluded to other contributing factors for the team’s struggles, including a young team, the transition phase, and the tight scheduling.
