Vaibhav Suryavanshi of Rajasthan Royals (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

India’s T20 World Cup triumph earlier this year has done nothing to hide the growing problem in the longest format. Despite better results in limited overs cricket under the leadership of the head coach, there has been a significant decline in the team’s Test performance. Gautam GambhirThe red-ball setup remains a matter of concern. Defeats against New Zealand and South Africa at home have underlined that India are no longer invincible in their own conditions, with their hopes of reaching the World Test Championship final now diminishing. Recognizing the issue, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has taken steps to reset its long-term Test structure. According to PTI, the Center of Excellence headed by VVS Laxman has drawn up a detailed plan to rebuild India’s red-ball depth by focusing on the next generation. At the heart of this strategy is a four-day intra-COE competition scheduled in June and July. The tournament, which is set to feature talents like Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Suryavanshi, will feature 64 players under the age of 25. These players will be divided into four teams of 16, with each side playing two multi-day matches on different surfaces to simulate different match scenarios. The idea is to create a consistent pipeline of red-ball players who can serve India over the next decade. As part of this change, coaches and selectors have been instructed to prioritize red-ball development at high-performance camps in Bengaluru in the coming year. “The India Emerging team will consist of only Under-25 players and they will also form India A teams for shadow tours. The roadmap will be made keeping in mind senior selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar, head coach Gautam Gambhir,” a BCCI source told PTI. “After the IPL ends, both India Under-19 and Emerging (Under-25) will tour Sri Lanka for four-day games. The team will be selected on the basis of performance in the intra-CoE tournament,” the source said. India’s difficulties in Tests, especially their falling effectiveness against spin even on home soil, has been a major trigger for this change since Gambhir took charge. The new system is designed to overcome those shortcomings through continued exposure to longer format cricket. For selection, 25 under-23 players will be selected by the junior panel led by S Sharath. The other 25 players from the Under-23 and Under-25 categories will be selected by the senior selection committee on the basis of their performances in domestic tournaments like Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, with the condition that these players will not have been part of the IPL. The remaining 14 places will go to players who have played in the IPL, including Mhatre, Suryavanshi and Sameer Rizvi, who complete the 64-player pool. “The idea is to select 25 players after the Intra-CoE tournament, and this core group of cricketers will represent both Emerging and India A in the shadow tours. BCCI officials and the Team India management have been very clear – even for the Under-19s, the focus has to be on the red ball for the next one year,” the source said.