Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as India’s white-ball head coach has been widely praised, with the former opener delivering strong results that include one ICC and one ACC title across the limited-overs formats. However, while India appears confident and dominant in white-ball cricket under his guidance, the same confidence does not reflect in the Test arena.
India’s Test cricket performance has come under serious scrutiny, especially after suffering 10 defeats against SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) nations. Concerns intensified following India’s disappointing performance in the recent two-Test home series against South Africa, where the team was outplayed and suffered a humiliating defeat.
According to reports, the situation has become worrying enough that a senior and influential figure within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) informally reached out to former India batting great and National Cricket Academy chief, VVS Laxman. The purpose of the approach was reportedly to gauge his interest in potentially taking charge of India’s red-ball team.
Laxman, known for his deep understanding of Test cricket and calm leadership style, remains one of the most respected cricketing minds in India. His potential involvement could indicate that the board is considering a split-coaching model — a structure being increasingly adopted by several international teams to balance workload and enhance performance in both formats.
While no formal decision has been announced yet, the development highlights growing concerns within Indian cricket circles regarding the Test team’s direction. With expectations always high and Test cricket considered the ultimate badge of excellence, the BCCI is expected to weigh its options carefully in the coming months.