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India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir was under scrutiny following the team’s poor performance in Test cricket ahead of the recently concluded Champions Trophy 2025. However, with Rohit Sharma’s men delivering an unbeaten run to lift the trophy in Dubai, the victory could mark a turning point in Gambhir’s coaching career.
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Focus Shifts To Test Cricket
Despite India’s white-ball success, Gambhir’s tenure has faced setbacks in red-ball cricket. Under his coaching, India suffered a 0-3 Test series whitewash at home against New Zealand and then failed to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. The team also missed out on the World Test Championship (WTC) final for the first time since the tournament’s inception.
Now, Gambhir is looking to revive India’s Test dominance and has expressed his interest in travelling with the India ‘A’ team to England for a shadow tour before the senior team’s five-Test series in June.
Gambhir’s Plan For India ‘A’ Tour
According to a TOI report, Gambhir has been in discussions with the BCCI since returning from Australia.
“Gambhir has expressed his desire to travel with the India ‘A’ team to get a clearer view of the reserve pool,” a BCCI source told TOI.
His influence in the selection process has already been evident in the Champions Trophy, where his backing of wildcard players played a crucial role in India’s triumph. Now, with Test cricket in focus, Gambhir is expected to take a more assertive role in shaping the red-ball squad.
Reviving India ‘A’ Tours – A Key Strategy
One of the major concerns raised post the Border-Gavaskar Trophy loss was the lack of India ‘A’ tours, which were a key feature of Rahul Dravid’s tenure as head coach.
Gambhir has held discussions with chief selector Ajit Agarkar and NCA head VVS Laxman on restarting these tours to strengthen India’s Test squad.
“There have been only a handful of ‘A’ series since Dravid left the NCA, all of which were shadow tours for marquee series. Gambhir believes that there should be more such tours, which is why he wants to assess the talent pool firsthand,” the source added.
India’s England Test Challenge – Breaking A 17-Year Drought
India last won a Test series in England in 2007. The team’s last tour in 2021-22 ended in a 2-2 draw, with Virat Kohli’s side leading 2-1 before the final Test was postponed due to COVID-19. In the rescheduled match, India suffered a defeat in July 2022.
With Gambhir looking to strengthen the Test squad ahead of the crucial five-match series in June, the India ‘A’ tour could play a vital role in identifying and preparing the best possible lineup for the challenge in English conditions.
