Now Reading: India coaching staff to split after final ODI against New Zealand
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India coaching staff to split after final ODI against New Zealand
The Story in Brief
India's coaching staff will split after the third ODI against New Zealand in Hamilton on Tuesday (10 November), with head coach Gautam Gambhir and spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule staying with the ODI squad while batting coach Sitanshu Kotak and bowling coach Morne Morkel join the Test squad for a pre-series camp in Wellington. Kotak said the plan is still to be finalised by Gambhir.
Three fast bowlers from the ODI squad, likely Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi, may stay back as net bowlers and reserve players for the Tests. The Test squad begins a preparatory camp on 11 November ahead of the first Test at the Basin Reserve on 19 November. Kotak noted that swing and seam movement from the ODIs will help batters prepare for similar conditions in the longer format.
Update, 9 November 2026: India Today now reports that the India A team, overseen by Hrishikesh Kanitkar, is also involved in Test preparation, with three tour games already underway. The outlet confirms that Kotak and Morkel will join the Test camp, while Gambhir and Bahutule stay with the ODI squad. Times of India adds that players from the India A set-up in Christchurch will link up with the Test group in Wellington.
Indian Opinion Analysis
All five outlets report the same plan, attributed to batting coach Sitanshu Kotak: head coach Gautam Gambhir and spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule will stay with the ODI squad, while Kotak and bowling coach Morne Morkel will join the Test camp in Wellington. Two outlets, Times of India and India Today, add more detail on three fast bowlers (likely Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi) staying as net bowlers, a point others mention briefly. Every source emphasises that Gambhir will take the final call, and none carries a critical or pro-government slant. The coverage is uniform straight reporting. The concrete next step is the Test squad's camp in Wellington beginning on 11 November.
Coverage: 4 sources, 4 neutral
Sources (4): espncricinfo.com (neutral report), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), Syndicated copy (carried by ndtv.com, freepressjournal.in), indiatoday.in (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
