Ahead of the highly anticipated five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia, the Indian men’s cricket team management held a crucial meeting with the BCCI hierarchy. Captain Rohit Sharma, selection panel chairman Ajit Agarkar, head coach Gautam Gambhir (via teleconferencing), BCCI president Roger Binny, and secretary Jay Shah were present at the meeting held at the Cricket Centre in Mumbai.
While the meeting was initially scheduled to take place during the Pune Test, it was postponed due to the BCCI office-bearers’ inability to travel. However, the timing of the meeting has raised eyebrows, coming on the heels of India’s humiliating 0-3 series whitewash at home against New Zealand. The series loss has also put India’s chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship in jeopardy.
Sources close to the team management have indicated that the meeting focused primarily on charting out a roadmap for the upcoming tour rather than dwelling on the New Zealand series debacle. With Shah set to take over as the ICC Chair on December 1, this meeting may be his last with the team management in his current capacity.
The Indian squad will depart for Perth in two batches, on November 10 and 11. The first Test commences on November 22. The team management is under immense pressure to turn things around after the New Zealand series, which saw India revert to the rank-turner policy. While the policy backfired, it has put additional pressure on Gambhir and Rohit, who have had a forgettable 2024 with the willow in Tests.
Despite the recent setbacks, the Indian team remains confident of putting up a strong fight against Australia. The team boasts a wealth of experience and talent, including the likes of Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ravichandran Ashwin. However, they will need to adapt quickly to the Australian conditions and find a way to counter the formidable Australian bowling attack.
