India to send batting and bowling coaches to Wellington after third ODI as Gambhir stays
Sitanshu Kotak said at a press conference in Hamilton on Monday that he and bowling coach Morne Morkel will leave India’s ODI camp after the third match of the five-game series against New Zealand to begin preparations for the upcoming Test series, while head coach Gautam Gambhir and spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule are expected to remain with the one-day side for the final two matches.
The move comes with the five-match 50-over leg scheduled to finish on November 15 and the two-Test series due to start on November 19, leaving virtually no gap between formats. India are running red-ball preparations concurrently, with India A playing three tour games against New Zealand A ahead of the Tests; that India A side is being overseen by Hrishikesh Kanitkar and will receive support from the senior team’s batting and bowling coaches in the build-up.
Kotak outlined the likely staffing plan in Hamilton and left the final decision to Gambhir, saying: "Obviously Gautam will have to be here - the one-day World Cup is coming, so he will be staying here and probably Sairaj will stay here. Me, Morne and some other staff will go to Wellington." He added: "That's the plan, but like I said, Gautam will make the final decision. It can change, but this is how it will likely be. We'll just try and see that their loading, their fitness, their practice - we do as much preparation as the conditions permit."
India will also retain three pace bowlers from the ODI squad in New Zealand to assist the Test group with preparations, with Gurnoor Brar, Auqib Nabi and Arshdeep Singh likely to join the Test contingent as net bowlers and reserve options. Kotak confirmed that group selection, saying: "I think three bowlers. Gurnoor, maybe Nabi, and I think Arsh is also staying back."
Several members of India’s Test squad — Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, Anshul Kamboj and Kuldeep Yadav — are not part of the plans for the final two ODIs and are expected to join the pre-series camp in Wellington. That movement forms part of a broader strategy to ready the red-ball unit while the ODI series concludes.
The two-Test series carries added significance for India, who have not faced New Zealand in Tests since the visitors recorded a 3-0 whitewash at home, and it provides an avenue to keep their World Test Championship final hopes alive after Australia's recent series defeat to South Africa opened a possible route back into contention. With the ODI series ending only four days before the first Test, India are balancing staff and player workloads across both assignments.
If Kotak and Morkel depart after the third ODI as outlined, Gambhir and Bahutule will be left to manage the one-day side for the remaining matches of the series.