Gautam Gambhir eyes India A stint in England to gear up for senior Test tour

India has achieved an emphatic conclusion to the white-ball season. The Men in Blue scripted an unbeaten run in Dubai to clinch the ICC Champions Trophy. The ODI title is now counted as their second ICC victory within a year, after the 2024 T20 World Cup. The four-wicket win over New Zealand in Dubai led the Indian team to the title after a wait of 12 years. With this win, Gautam Gambhir, as the Indian head coach, has already earned a trophy to his name, not even a year into his tenure. The record reflects gleamingly striking in Gambhir's portfolio as the coach. However, there's much to cover for the coach regarding what transpired in the whites under his watch.

India in Tests under head coach Gautam Gambhir

In a tenure that is yet to complete the one-year mark, Gambhir has seen the highest and the lowest with the team in different formats. However, now that India has picked the Champions Trophy, there is a stark difference between the one who leads the ICT in Tests and Gambhir, who holds the charge in whites. Gambhir's time with ICT started on a turbulent note as the Indian team endured their first series defeat against Sri Lanka in over two decades. However, that was just the start of a collapse for the Indian Cricket Team.

At the start of the Test season, India was poised as one of the clear favorites to qualify for the WTC Final for the third consecutive time. While it started on a positive note with a series win over Bangladesh at home, it was a steep decline from there onwards. Hosting New Zealand for a three-match series at home, India, for the first time in 12 years, lost a Test series at home. The last blow came as the hardest, as the team lost 3-0 to the Kiwis, with New Zealand becoming the first team to whitewash India at home in the format. Though an ugly blot in their dominant Test records, the WTC Final qualification rested in India's hands with the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy scheduled ahead.

However, after the win in the opening Test, it came unraveling as the entire batting order staged a loss of form in Australia. The Kangaroos beat the visitors 3-1 Down Under to reclaim the BGT after a decade and knock India out of WTC Final contention. Moreover, the scene appeared even murkier as dressing room chats leaked out in the open. The reported updates didn't paint a positive picture of the head coach.

The change of formats, however, brought relief for the group. Gambhir, as the coach, and Rohit Sharma, as the captain, redeemed most of what was lost during the Test season. The move to play four spinners and take five spinners to Dubai for the Champions Trophy, and to play KL Rahul above Rishabh Pant, all panned out seamlessly for the Men in Blue as they claimed the ICC title. But the Test reputation and standing remain to be redeemed. With the onset of the new WTC cycle, Gautam Gambhir has the chance at a fresh start in the format.

Gautam Gambhir aims to join India A tour to England while the senior players take to IPL 2025

As it turns out, the head coach is not so keen on resting while the players shift their focus to IPL 2025. The next couple of months is filled with IPL action, with all the mainstays having joined their respective franchises. Gautam Gambhir, meanwhile, had the opportunity to take a breather before international cricket kicks off in June with the England tour. But the head coach has opted against rest and has requested the BCCI to let him assist the India A squad in England.

To prevent a repeat of recent disappointments during India's upcoming five-Test series in England, set to take place over the next three months, Gambhir is taking proactive steps. In consultations with the BCCI, he has expressed his desire to join the India 'A' tour to the UK, where he can closely monitor emerging talents. Once a regular feature of Indian cricket, A tours have significantly declined in recent years, but Gambhir is determined to revive their importance. Unlike his predecessors, Rahul Dravid and Ravi Shastri, who preferred to step back during the IPL, Gambhir is actively preparing to lead an India A tour, ensuring fresh and promising players get the spotlight they deserve.

"Gambhir has been in discussions with the BCCI since he returned from Australia. He has expressed his desire to travel with the India 'A' team to get a clearer view of the reserve pool. With India winning the Champions Trophy after Gambhir's insistence for certain wild card players, one may expect him to assert more in future," a source informed recently.

Whether Gambhir will join the India A team as a mentor or step into the coaching role currently held by VVS Laxman remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: GG is fully committed to this initiative. The core mission behind reviving the A tour initiative is to unearth talent from India's vast pool of players. With his sights set on the 2027 World Cup and the upcoming World Test Championship cycle, Gambhir, a two-time World Cup winner is determined to scout and nurture the next generation of cricketers capable of proudly representing India.

"One of the crucial issues identified is reviving India 'A' tours. There have been only a handful 'A' series after Dravid left NCA and all of those were shadow tours for a marquee series. Gambhir too believes that there needs to be more 'A' tours. That's why he wants to take stock of the situation firsthand," the source added.