Parth Jindal Urges BCCI To Hire Specialist Red-Ball Coach After India Lose Series 0-2

Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal delivered a blunt message to the BCCI on Thursday, hours after India’s humiliating 0-2 home Test series defeat to South Africa, declaring that the team’s “weakest-ever” performance at home proves the urgent need for a dedicated red-ball specialist coach. “Not even close—what a complete thrashing at home! Don’t remember seeing our test side being so weak at home!!! This is what happens when red-ball specialists are not picked. This team is nowhere near reflective of the deep strength we possess in the red-ball format. Time for India to move to a specialist red-ball coach for Test cricket,” Jindal posted on X, directly questioning the one-size-fits-all coaching model under Gautam Gambhir.

The stinging criticism comes as India’s second home series whitewash in 13 months—following the 0-3 loss to New Zealand—has shattered the myth of an impregnable fortress. The 408-run defeat in Guwahati, India’s heaviest by runs in Test history, exposed chronic issues: repeated batting collapses, over-reliance on all-rounders at the expense of pure batsmen and bowlers, and tactical rigidity on turning tracks.

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Jindal’s call echoes a growing chorus from former players and analysts who argue that Gambhir, despite white-ball success (Champions Trophy and Asia Cup wins), lacks the bandwidth to micromanage Test cricket’s unique demands while overseeing all three formats. The current support staff—Abhishek Nayar, Ryan ten Doeschate, and T. Dilip—are primarily white-ball specialists, leaving a visible vacuum in red-ball expertise.

Head coach Gambhir, visibly frustrated in his post-match press conference, refused to single out individuals but dropped heavy hints at Rishabh Pant’s reckless shot selection, saying the team must stop “playing to the gallery” and learn to “sacrifice individual self for the team.” Yet the larger structural question—whether India can continue treating Test cricket as an afterthought in a packed calendar dominated by IPL and bilateral limited-overs series—now looms larger than ever.

With nine tests remaining to salvage World Test Championship hopes, including tough away series in Sri Lanka and New Zealand followed by a blockbuster home rubber against Australia, Jindal’s public intervention from one of IPL’s most influential owners has intensified pressure on the BCCI to consider splitting coaching roles—a model successfully adopted by England (Brendon McCullum for tests and white-ball) and Australia (Andrew McDonald with separate red-ball and white-ball assistants).

For now, the message from the owner of one of India’s biggest franchises is crystal clear: Test cricket needs its own identity and its own specialist leader.

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