Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Bengaluru
With new coaches and new support staff come new templates. It sometimes reflects the mindset of these people, and the difference between them and their predecessors. Gautam Gambhir was always positive as a cricketer. He didn’t mind a skirmish or two, nor did he lack passion. As the new head coach of the Indian team, he is walking the talk.
Two days ahead of the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru, on a cloudy day that saw a few spells of rain, Gambhir was candid about the approach he wants from his team. He spoke of the importance of pushing the limits and not becoming one-dimensional. According to him, if this doesn’t happen, a team runs the risk of following a stereotype.
“We want to be a team that can make 400 runs in a day and bat for two days (if required) for a draw,”Gambhir said at a press conference at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. “And that’s called growth. That’s called adaptability and that’s Test cricket. If you play the same way, then it’s not growth.”
The former India opener maintained that the focus must never shift from winning. “Ultimately, the first motive is to win the match,” he said.“And then, if we’re in a situation where we have to play for a draw, then that’s the second or third option. We have players who can make 400-450 runs in a day. And we have players who can bat for two days to draw. And we want to play the same type of cricket.”
One noticeable trait of the new coach is his emphasis on bowling. India had shifted to the five-bowler ploy long ago — during Gambhir’s playing days actually — but it’s only in the last few years that the results have started coming. Two successive World Test Championship finals, and wins in Australia, England and South Africa show India’s strength in this department.
“This is the time of the bowlers,” said Gambhir. “Batsmen only set up matches. It is very important that our batsman-obsessed attitude ends.If a batsman makes a thousand runs, there is no guarantee that he will win the Test match. But if a bowler takes 20 wickets, there is 99% guarantee that he will win the Test match. So, whether it is a Test or any format, bowlers win you the tournaments. I hope that in this era or time, we will talk more about bowlers as compared to batters. And I hope that this mindset will change in the future.”
This new Indian approach has become a talking point after they beat Bangladesh in Kanpur despite nearly the first three days of that Test being washed out. It was not just a win, nor was it devalued because of the weaknesses of theopponents. It was a statement of intent, of the urge to make things happen even when the odds are against you. Gambhir, however, chose to look ahead instead of living in the past.
“New Zealand is a different challenge and we respect every opposition,” Gambhir said of the team which has lost seven and drew three of the 10 Tests it played in India since 2010. “We know how professional they are. They keep fighting and we expect them to fight. We’re up for it. They’ve got some high-quality players. They’ve got players who can hurt us.”
But then, respecting the opposition is another of Gambhir’s mantras. He wants his team to be fearless yet humble. A mixed bag in two white-ball series in Sri Lanka on his debut outing as coach was followed by the annihilation of Bangladesh. New Zealand are up next, followed by five Tests in Australia. It’s getting progressively tougher for the man who loved challenges. But then, he is transmitting positive vibes.
For all current updates:
5@5 LIVE: Kolkata Derby | HIL Auction | IND NZ | All Updates https://t.co/1CIWc1xfOX
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) October 14, 2024
For more sports content: https://revsportz.in/