There has been a divide within the leadership group about the decision to play on turning pitches..
Gautam Gambhir has come under scrutiny following India’s horrible loss in the recent IND vs NZ three-match Test series which Rohit Sharma and Co conceded 3-0.
India registered unwanted records of their first Test series loss after 12 years and a first-ever series whitewash in the longest format on home soil.
Following the loss, a TOI report claimed that India coach Gautam Gambhir has come under fire and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has demanded answers.
One point that has come up is the use of rank-turners during the second and the third Test matches at Pune and Mumbai respectively.
A source privy to the developments revealed to TOI, “The decision to go back to rank turners caught a few people in the board by surprise. The new support staff under Gautam Gambhir will be asked about their vision for taking the team forward”.
Not just the pitches used during recent games are likely to come under scrutiny, but the team’s current management practices will also be questioned.
Significantly, under Rahul Dravid’s time as head coach, the management had moved away from using heavily spinning tracks, evident during the England series earlier this year. The five-match series featured balanced pitches, with each game lasting at least four days which India won 4-1 despite going down in the series opener.
However, contrarily this time around, after Rohit and his team lost the first Test by eight wickets in Bengaluru, the current management shifted back to spin-friendly pitches. Rohit admitted he misjudged the conditions on the opening day and chose to bat under overcast skies, leading India to a first-innings score of just 46 from which recovery was impossible.
It has since emerged that there was a divide within the leadership group about the decision to play on rank turners.
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