India hold a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir dismissed outside criticism on the eve of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo, stating that his primary focus is winning trophies and navigating the team through a red-ball transition rather than chasing public approval, views, or social media likes.
Gambhir emphasized that India is building a new core under skipper Shubman Gill, noting the rankings and commentary box opinions do not influence his roadmap or goals for the squad.
The visitors hold a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka, following a thumping 165-run victory in the opening match at Galle International Stadium.
“My job is to win trophies, not views and likes. That’s all I believe in, and that is going to be my opinion,” Gambhir told reporters on Saturday (Augst 22). “Rankings do not matter. I think we are going through a transition, and I’m sure that people sitting in the press box and the commentary box know that. Despite that, yes, there will be blips, there will be ups and downs, but since the England tour last year, I think we’ve played reasonably consistent cricket. We know where we are heading, and we are heading in the right direction.”
India's red-ball depth is growing as young talents like Devdutt Padikkal and Manav Suthar step up during key absences and injuries. Gambhir commended this healthy competition for driving the team forward.
“We keep talking about depth in red-ball cricket,” Gambhir said. “We know how much depth we have in white-ball cricket, but the more depth we have in red-ball cricket, the better it is for the dressing room. When you have competition, people keep getting better. Dev waited a long time and made the most of it, and Manav came in and delivered in a crucial Test match. These guys, if they continue to put their heads down and work hard, will take Indian cricket forward.”
The coach stressed India's focus on a five-bowler attack to secure 20 wickets and win Test matches, even on flat pitches. He believes taking wickets matters more than scoring huge team totals in the traditional format.
“You can score 1,000 runs in Test cricket, there’s no guarantee you’re going to win,” he stated. “But if you get 20 wickets, you have all the probability and possibility of winning. If it’s a flat pitch, bowlers will have to work hard, and we have the luxury of five proper bowlers. When you have five proper bowlers, you can rotate them better and bring your seamers back when they can create an impact, rather than using them defensively.”
During the series opener, Kuldeep Yadav delivered 25 overs across the two innings and managed to take only one wicket. Given that both Ravindra Jadeja and Suthar bowled almost double his overs, it led to questions regarding the team management’s trust on the wrist-spinner.
However, Gambhir defended Kuldeep’s limited bowling spells, citing that playing five proper bowlers means someone will bowl less.
“When you play five proper bowlers, someone will eventually bowl less,” he said. “It’s not about someone not delivering; it’s about who the captain or management feels can be more threatening in that particular condition. My conversation with Kuldeep was just to try and bowl at his best rather than looking desperate to take wickets.”
Gambhir also threw his weight behind young batters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, advising them not to stop playing their favorite shots after getting out.
“Don’t curb your shots, just get better at it,” Gambhir remarked. “If I start telling players to stop everything and talk about their dismissals, how are they going to score runs? If someone gets out pulling, rather than telling him not to pull, I would rather tell him to get better at it.”
In the end, Gautam Gambhir shared that a three-Test format is ideal for series context and parity, highlighting that two-match series eliminate a team's chance to bounce back from an opening loss.
“Ideally, I would want a three-Test series. There should always be a possibility for a team losing the first Test to come back and win the series. In a two-match series, if you lose the first game, the maximum you can do is draw,” he concluded.
(With RevSportz Inputs)