How on earth did he manage to hang on?

It required merely two Test wins for Duncan Fletcher to save his job. Although the common voice was to sack the non-performing coach, the BCCI extended his contract by a year. The decision was taken at the working committee meeting on Friday.

The recent highs against the Aussies have obviously erased memories of India’s eight away losses in England and Australia. Not to forget the recent home series debacle against Alastair Cook & Co. The 64-year-old’s contract was due to end this month.

BCCI president N Srinivasan said, “The board has decided to extend his contract. But we have to discuss the terms. I can’t tell you the deliberations of the board.” It is understood that the renewal of Fletcher’s contract had a lot to do with continuity, especially since India are going through a phase of transition.

A top board official said, “We don’t want a knee-jerk reaction considering the next big Test series is in South Africa. It will be risky and unfair on a new coach to give him charge in South Africa and expect good results.”

Sunil Gavaskar, who had criticised Fletcher’s appointment in 2011, said on air that the Zimbabwean should get all the backing. “If he were an Indian, probably he would not have got an extension. If you look at the past, every time an Indian coach didn’t do well in a series, he was removed,” Gavaskar told a TV channel.

@DNA