India lost to New Zealand in Pune on a rank turner with Mitchell Santner taking 13 wickets.
This comes after India lost the second Test to New Zealand in Pune on a spin-friendly wicket by 113 runs, ending their unbeaten Test series streak of 12 years. Mitchell Santner starred with 13 wickets in the match including a seven-wicket haul.
"I don't think so," Gambhir asserted when asked if Indian batters' spin negotiating skills have gone down.
"Sometimes you have to give it to the opposition as well. Mitchell Santner was outstanding in the last game. But yes, we'll keep working hard, we'll keep getting better. Guys are putting in a lot of hard yards in the nets. Ultimately, it's the results that matter when you're playing international cricket but I don't think that our skill against spin has actually gone down. It's about probably keep working hard and keep getting better," Gambhir said on the eve of the final Test in Mumbai.
Gambhir stated that the defensive style of batting has been affected by because batters nowadays are accustomed to playing hard-hitting, fast-paced games.
"Sometimes you're so used to muscling the ball that you end up forgetting the soft hands which probably used to happen eight or 10 years back. A complete cricketer is a cricketer who plays T20 format and Test cricket successfully. He can adapt his game.
Growth is not only about hitting the ball in the stands. It's also about batting sessions on a turning track where you know that you will not be able to hit in the stands but you'll be able to rotate better. For that, I think the foundation is very, very important.
But you will see probably going forward in the future, we'll have the same issues with a lot of other teams as well because the more the T20 cricket is played, the fewer people will start defending,” Gambhir stated.
Gambhir stated that a lot of the format's result-oriented nature is due to the ever-increasing impact of T20 cricket on hitters, while also emphasizing that dead rubbers are a thing of the past in Test cricket, with teams competing hard for WTC points.
"Every Test match has an importance but it also has a lot to do with T20 cricket as well. Gone are those days where we'll see a lot of draws in Test cricket because the quality of batters and the hitting ability (has changed). There will be more result-oriented (matches). It's the combination of being under pressure every game because of the WTC points and the second thing is T20 cricket as well," he said.
Gambhir supported India's ability to adjust to circumstances despite their batsmen's dismal performances in the first two Test matches.
"Test cricket needs to be played like Test cricket. We should be a side that can get 400 on a day if we need to get the result and we should be able to bat two days as well. That is what growth is and that is what Test cricket is all about. Test cricket can't just be played in one single manner because it's about adaptability. It's about looking at the situation and playing according to the situation,” he signed off.
(PTI inputs)