The Indian head coach had returned home due to personal reasons last week.
In his absence, India played the two-day tour game under lights against the Australian Prime Minister's XI in Canberra. The warm-up fixture was later converted into a limited-overs contest, as rain played spoilsport on Day 1.
Support staff members Abhishek Nayar, Ryan ten Doeschate and Morne Morkel oversaw the team’s training and preparations for the tour match, which India won by six wickets.
During the warm-up game, PM XI were bowled out for 240 in 43.2 overs. Harshit Rana starred with the ball for India, taking four wickets for 44 runs in his six-over spell. Akash Deep claimed two wickets, while Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and Prasidh Krishna returned with one scalp each.
India's opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal (45 runs off 59 balls) and KL Rahul (27 retd hurt off 44 balls) provided a solid foundation with a 75-run partnership.
Later on, Shubman Gill (50 retd hurt off 62 balls) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (42 runs off 32 balls) took charge, putting the opposition bowlers under pressure.
Washington Sundar (42* off 36 balls) and Ravindra Jadeja (27 runs off 31 balls) further solidified India's innings, guiding them to a final score of 257/5 in 46 overs.
The Indian team reached Adelaide on Monday (December 2) for the second Test, which will be played with the pink-ball from December 6 to 10.
Gambhir faces selection dilemma ahead of the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test. India will welcome back full-time captain Rohit Sharma, who missed the first Test due to paternity leave. Jasprit Bumrah had led the visitors to 295-run victory in Rohit’s absence during the series opener in Perth.
Gill, who was left out of the Perth Test due to a fractured thumb, is also back in contention. If Rohit and Gill return to the playing XI, likely replacing Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel, the team management must address the opening combination.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul stitched a double-century stand as openers in Perth’s second innings, making a strong case to retain their partnership.
The pink-ball tour game in Canberra hinted at Jaiswal and Rahul continuing as openers, Gill slotting in at No. 3, and Rohit batting in the middle-order.