Former Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie on Thursday (January 1) denied the suggestion that he should apply for the India Test job. Gillespie, the former Australian fast-bowler, coached Pakistan men’s Test team for eight months in December, while also leading the white-ball sides for a brief period on an interim basis.
Under him, Pakistan lost 2-0 to Bangladesh at home but beat England 2-1. He resigned early from his two-year-contract after issues with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Previously, he has coached the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League, Yorkshire, Sussex, South Australia, Papua New Guinea, and even a bowling coach stint at Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings).
No thanks. https://t.co/TJgodRMkVJ
— Jason Gillespie (@dizzy259)
January 1, 2026
Gautam Gambhir is the current Test coach in India, though the pressure is piling on him. Since his appointment in 2024, he has lost more Tests than he has won, while also overseeing two whitewashes at home, the first time it happened in the history of Indian cricket.
According to a recent report, after India’s disappointing Test series loss in South Africa, a senior BCCI figure informally sounded out Gambhir’s former teammate VVS Laxman about a red-ball coaching role, but he remains uninterested, content at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Gambhir’s contract runs until the 2027 ODI World Cup, though his future, especially in Tests, could be reviewed after the upcoming T20 World Cup. While he enjoys strong backing within the BCCI and limited alternatives exist for the Test role, concerns persist over dressing-room uncertainty and selection calls.
It’s not the easiest job to take up, either. The BCCI has preferred Indian candidates, and previously, even convincing Rahul Dravid for it was considered quite difficult. Before Gambhir became the coach, former Australian batter Justin Langer was also interested, but told the media that he was advised against it by KL Rahul, who told him that the position had too much ‘politics and pressure’.
