Three days before the Indian men’s squad’s departure to Australia for the much-anticipated five-Test series (Border-Gavaskar Trophy), the team management had a meeting with the BCCI hierarchy.
Captain Rohit Sharma and selection panel chairman Ajit Agarkar met with BCCI president Roger Binny and secretary Jay Shah at the Cricket Centre, the BCCI headquarters, here on Thursday evening. The Hindu understands that head coach Gautam Gambhir also joined via teleconferencing.
According to a source, the meeting was not a knee-jerk reaction to India’s series whitewash (0-3) at home by New Zealand. “It was a routine meeting between the office-bearers and the senior team management. They were supposed to meet during the Pune Test, but since the office-bearers couldn’t travel to Pune, it was scheduled for this week.”
However, the timing of the meeting is bound to raise eyebrows, considering the annihilation on home soil. The series loss has also put India’s chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship in jeopardy.
The New Zealand series – Gambhir’s first major Test assignment since taking charge in July – saw India reverting to the rank-turner policy.
While the policy backfired, it has put additional pressure on Gambhir and Rohit – who, along with veteran Virat Kohli has had a forgettable 2024 with the willow in Tests – for the forthcoming tour.
The source, however, stressed that the meeting focused more on charting out the roadmap than discussing the series loss against the Kiwis. With Shah set to take over as the ICC Chair on December 1, the meeting may be his last with the team management in his current capacity.
India’s squad will depart for Perth in two batches, on November 10 and 11. The first Test commences on November 22.
Published – November 08, 2024 11:02 pm IST
