The current 2025 Test series with South Africa national cricket team has exposed the big rift in performance of India between the red-ball game and the white-ball game. As the white-ball units led by Gautam Gambhir are still maintaining their winning streak, T20Is and ODIs, the Test unit has suffered blow after blow, reaching the point of disgraceful defeats at home. The comparison is dramatic and disturbing. As the pressure on the morale of the playing team and fan confidence grows, structural change is being demanded by many former players and analysts: that is, a split-coaching system, as in having one coach (Test) and another coach (limited-overs) in charge. This is not merely in respect of a coach-shuffle. It is about realizing that Test cricket requires an alternate thought process, abilities, practice and effort all of which are blurred when a single individual works in all formats. At this cross road, split coaching may provide India with the opportunity to redefine concentration, right track and provide each format with the focus it needs. #1 Contrasting Records - White-Ball Success and Test Failures One of the main reasons to support split coaching is the fact that the difference in the performance of India in the white ball and Test under one coach is quite evident. The white-ball teams have flourished under Gambhir: the results of T20I and ODIs are regular, full on, and show trophies. At the same time, the Test team has failed miserably - one defeat after another, batting collapses on home soil, and a disturbing inability to adjust or to fight back during the match became standard. These contrasting results indicate that the attributes that are effective in T20s or ODIs, e.g. versatility, strength hitting, rapid change of strategy, etc. may not be applicable to the more challenging and complex game, which is Test cricket. Test matches require patience, focus, technical discipline, psychological strength and planning. Having one coach to alternate between the mentality of one game to the other, this thwarts red-ball rigour. The division of coaching would enable a red-ball expert to spend uninterrupted time on the Test side of the team - customise training, develop fielding and bowling strategies appropriate to multi-day Browning, and develop mental and technical stamina. At the same time, the coach of the white ball teams would not be burdened with the burden of losses at Tests and could still be aggressive and fresh. The disaggregation of formats may bring back equilibrium and allow each unit to do it their own strengths, but not to be pulled down by the other units. Also Read | India vs South Africa Head to Head in ODI Record & Key Stats #2 Workload & Focus: Coaching Needs to Be Format-Specific It is an enormous work to coach the international team in all three types of games, which are Tests, ODIs and T20s. The formats require varied preparation, planning, labor, travel, and downtimes. An example: Test tours are all about longer stays, days of high concentration, technique refinement and the development of patience; white-ball cricket is all about tactical innovation, decision-making speed, power-hitting exercises, and rotation management. Balancing the two may leave any coaching staff stretched and the time and energy to provide the coaches with an opportunity to work deeper on the red-ball. Indian cricket veteran voices such as Harbhajan Singh went on to opine that a split coaching system would ease the pressure, burnout and the coach would be in a better position to coach ahead touring. A red-ball coach would be in a position to map out long-term strategies, develop Test-based talent, maintain a steady flow of performance across the world-test championship cycles and would not get distracted by the rotating white-ball obligations. On the same note, the white-ball coach should not be concerned with the Test tours disrupting the T20 and ODI calendar - allowing them to concentrate more on short-format victory. In brief: format-specific roles would allow greater time to be dedicated to training practices, mental conditioning, rest cycles, and format-specific techniques. This division may be critical especially to continue performance and prevent future failures especially when there is an overcrowded international calendar. #3 Right Time for Change: Learn from Global Precedents The concept of split coaching is not novel as other countries in the cricketing arena have experimented with it with varying degrees of success. In illustration, numerous specialists cite models applied in the last fews years by teams such as England cricket team where the duties of red-ball and white-ball coaching were separated to permit format-based concentration. Although they have one coach for all-format now, but that split coaching helped the side in identifying the right mix. According to such models, modern cricket has developed: various forms of the game require different requirements and, therefore, the unique approach to coaching. In addition, the timing was not worse than perfect to India. Having the current Test side struggling, and with the next red-ball assignment months off, it is possible to restructure without disrupting series continuity. In the meantime, Gambhir has a track record of performing well in white balls and more commitment pending, such as upcoming T20 and ODIs, which might not suffer much under his leadership. This interlude may be a perfect transition period as long as the selectors and the ruling authority support the change. When done correctly, split coaching may provide the Test team with time to reestablish technique, confidence and temperament - without losing white-ball success. Since the scenario requires an immediate turnaround in Test downturns, this is the most suitable strategic option that India has to regain the claim. Also Read | India vs South Africa T20 Head to Head: A Complete Breakdown Conclusion The split coaching argument ceases to be a theoretical concept it has become a practical, immediate and supported by evidentiary arguments. The opposing results of red-ball and white-ball cricket in India under the same coach have revealed the underlying tension in the system: one system attempting to absorb conflicting imperatives. Split coaching has offers format-focused training, workable load, and stability in the long run. It gives the Test party a smoother and more serious channel to reinvention, without damaging the white-ball set-up that was flying. And having the right people and vision, it will potentially represent the resurrection of Test cricket in India, and even hold on to power in the limited-overs forms. The split coaching may be the radical move that the cricketing world needs to take in order to recover the consistency, adjust to the contemporary requirements and compose the balanced future.