Subhayan Chakraborty in Mumbai
Despite the poor showing of India’s batters, Gautam Gambhir, the head coach, refused to pin the blame on certain individuals while accepting that the entire squad was hurt after losing their first Test series at home since 2012. India head into the third Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai bidding to avoid a clean sweep, while also aiming for a crucial win in the context of the World Test Championship (WTC).
“I’m not going to sugarcoat this,” Gambhir told reporters in Mumbai on the eve of the third Test. “Obviously, it’s hurting. And it’s good that it’s hurting because it should hurt. Every time you lose a game, be it at home or be it away from home, it should hurt. That hurt will make us better. Sometimes people say that it should not hurt. But it should hurt.
“When you’re playing for your country, what’s wrong in being in that position? The more, especially for the youngsters, it’s hurting them, I’m sure they’re going to push themselves to keep getting better. Because that is exactly what we want them to be. Pushing themselves every day to be a better cricketer. And to do something special. Because if we have results like what we had in Kanpur, then we might as well have results like this. And take that hurt and keep moving forward.”
With IPL retention deadline day being a focal point of discussion, players could be a bit distracted ahead of such a crucial Test. However, Gambhir was unfussed as he said the players are completely focussed on the Test match. “Doesn’t bother me one bit (IPL retention),” he said. “I think it’s about Indian cricket tomorrow, I think it’s about the Test match that’s coming up tomorrow.”
Mitchell Santner wreaked havoc in Pune as he dismantled the Indian batting unit. In Mumbai, in 2021, New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel had scalped a total of 14 wickets in what was a historic outing for him. When asked whether India’s batting quality against spin has diminished a bit in the recent times, the Indian head coach quipped: “Sometimes you have to give it to the opposition as well. I think Mitchell Santner was outstanding in the last game. But yes, we’ll keep working hard, we’ll keep getting better.
“That’s about it. Guys are putting a lot of hard yards in the nets. Yes, 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.”
With the Mumbai Test being seen as a crucial one for India in the context of qualifying for the WTC Final, and with a marquee five-Test series against Australia coming up, is the qualification scenario playing in the minds of the Indian team management or players?
“Simple, try and win,” said Gambhir. “I think as simple as it can get. More importantly, we should try and win this Test match so that we can go to Australia with a win under our belt. And more importantly, it’s another great opportunity for people to do something special for the country. I think we very well know that we represent 140 crore Indians. So, it’s another opportunity because very few people get this opportunity and honour to represent the country in Test cricket.”
When asked about his opinion on Mumbai’s red-soil pitch, the former Indian opener said: “I think it looks a really good wicket. Obviously, it’s very difficult for anyone to judge how the wicket is going to behave unless the game starts on it and both the teams have batted on it. But I feel that it looks a decent wicket. And I’m sure that once the guys get in, they can actually make the most of it.”
Gambhir, as India’s head coach, has had a rocky start to his stint, losing an ODI series in Sri Lanka before conceding the Test series against New Zealand at home.
“I’ll be honest, I never expected a very easy run, because international cricket is never easy,” he said. “And I believe that. I know that we lost in Sri Lanka, we’ve lost at home as well against New Zealand. It’s not the great place to be in. But all we can do is be absolutely honest to ourselves, keep working hard, keep working hard with the group and keep preparing them well and keep getting the results. Because ultimately, I think we want to try and win every game that we represent the country in.”