 "Shubman Gill calls for India to undergo 15-day camps ahead of Test assignments after recent whitewashes: Report")
India captain Shubman Gill has called for the team to undergo a 15-day camp in preparation for all Test assignments going forward. The 26-year-old’s bold suggestion comes amid India’s steep decline in the red-ball format, with the team having suffered two whitewashes at home in the span of a year and surrendered the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a series defeat in Australia.
The decline began with a 0-3 sweep at the hands of New Zealand in October 2024 – India’s first Test series loss at home in nearly 12 years and also their first ever whitewash at home. That was followed by a 1-3 series defeat Down Under which derailed India’s chances of reaching the ICC World Test Championship final for the third straight time.
After holding England to a 2-2 draw in the inaugural Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and inflicting a 2-0 whitewash on West Indies, India were in for another rude jolt – this time in the form of a 0-2 sweep against South Africa that has threatened their chances of reaching the 2027 WTC final.
Gill suggests 15-day red-ball camps ahead of Test assignments
Gill, who had made his debut as India captain in England last summer and had recently missed the second Test against South Africa, felt the team needed better preparation going forward in order to handle the rigours of Test cricket better.
“Gill was very clear that the team needed better preparation before going into a Test series. There was an issue with the itinerary this season where the team didn’t have much time to prepare. Gill recommended to the Board that it would be ideal if there were 15-day red-ball camps before a Test series,” a BCCI source was quoted by The Times of India as saying.
“Gill is showing assertive qualities now. He is presenting his vision to the selectors and BCCI with a lot more clarity. It augurs well for Indian cricket as there is a need for a strong captain after Rohit Sharma. The Test and ODI teams are Gill’s. It is important for him to have a bigger say.”
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View AllIndia will not be playing Test cricket until August, when they travel to Sri Lanka for a two-Test series and will be traveling to New Zealand for a similar assignment later this year before hosting Australia in a five-match series at home in early 2027 in their final assignment of the current cycle.
The report added that Indian batting great VVS Laxman, who currently heads the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, might be approached to conduct the red-ball camp for the Indian team given the likelihood of head coach Gautam Gambhir being occupied in a year that is packed with white-ball assignments.
“There may be instances where Gambhir will be busy with white-ball teams even as there may be a Test series approaching. The Board may use the services of CoE cricket head VVS Laxman to organise red-ball camps,” the source added.
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