India coach Gautam Gambhir talked about building relationships with senior Team India players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, and others as he embarks on his first Test series as head coach. India will play Bangladesh in the first of the two Tests in Chennai from September 19 onwards.

Gautam Gambhir underlined the significance of keeping positive relationships with experienced players such as skipper Rohit Sharma and notable batsman Virat Kohli to propel Indian cricket ahead.

Gambhir, who replaced Rahul Dravid following the T20 World Cup, had previously shared the Indian dressing room with Kohli, Rohit, and Ravichandran Ashwin.

"It's still early days (for him as coach). But the good part is that I have played with those guys (seniors). At one stage we were sharing the dressing room as players when they were younger, who have now become experienced guys.

When you have that kind of relationship, sometimes it gets much easier than building a relationship. Obviously, now the roles are different. The relationship we can build throughout next couple of years. It's going to be very important, and now we should keep taking it a little bit forward because we've got massive challenges coming our way,” Gambhir said in the press conference.

The feud between Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli following an IPL match in Lucknow has gathered traction on social media. It has frequently been portrayed as emphasizing friction between the two cricketers. However, Gambhir has rejected these interpretations.

"Sometimes people have made a lot of hue and cry about these things. But that's not true. My relationship with everyone in the dressing room team has been really, really good. More importantly, I think the heart needs to be in the right place. When the passion is there, I think a lot of things can ease. I think the desire to win each and whenever we walk onto the cricket field, it's there. So, I think we've started off really well," said Gambhir.

Gambhir revealed the process of choosing a playing eleven for a specific match. He highlighted the value of communication in his decision-making process.

"I think the most important thing is clear communication. See, we don't drop anyone. We only select the best playing 11. We think and do the job for that particular Test match,” he said.

The former India opener has cleared any confusion about the first-choice wicketkeeper for the forthcoming Test against Bangladesh.

"I feel Jurel is a quality player. He's done phenomenally well in the last series (against England). He played some really crucial knocks under pressure. But sometimes people will have to wait. Someone like Sarfaraz has also done really well. But sometimes you just need to wait for the opportunity and keep working hard. India has a really long Test season ahead.

So, we just have to make sure that these guys are ready whenever they get their opportunity. And that is what is called bench strength," he added.

(PTI inputs)