New Delhi: The second match of the Test series between India and Sri Lanka is to be played from Sunday at the historic Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) ground in Colombo. The Indian team has already taken a 1-0 lead in the series by winning the first Test in Galle by a huge margin of 165 runs. However, when Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir appeared before the media on the eve of the match, his stance appeared quite aggressive and clear. Gambhir opened up on his coaching style, recent Test performances and external criticism. Gambhir said that he is in this position with the aim of taking Indian cricket on the path of success and winning trophies for the country.
'My job is to win trophies, not to collect likes'
For some time now, questions have been continuously raised on the Test form of the Indian team and Gambhir's decisions. Giving a befitting reply to these criticisms, the head coach made it clear that he is not influenced by the winds of social media and outside opinion.
Gambhir said that he is in this position with the aim of taking Indian cricket on the path of success and winning trophies for the country. His focus was never on getting likes or views.
Stance on test ranking and performance
Gambhir completely rejected the questions being raised regarding India's Test ranking and the team's recent run. He said that there is no need to give excessive importance to the ranking. Gambhir expressed strong objection to the media and critics describing the team as struggling. The head coach believes that since the England tour, India has performed balanced and better in red ball cricket.
The team is currently going through a major change. Installing new players in place of veteran players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin is not an overnight task. This process takes time and it is necessary to give some time to the new generation to adapt.
Team selection and player support
Gambhir clarified his strategy regarding the playing eleven of the second test. He said that only that bowling combination will be fielded on the field which has the capability of taking 20 wickets of the opposition team. On the presence of Kuldeep Yadav, he said that he is an excellent spinner, but the final decision will be taken according to the conditions in Colombo and the thinking of the captain. Along with this, he emphasized on providing security to the players. Gambhir believes that it is wrong to judge a player on the basis of failure in just 1-2 matches. There are ups and downs in cricket, so youngsters will have to be given a long runway so that they can prove themselves.
Advocacy of 3 match test series
Only two test match series has been organized between India and Sri Lanka on this tour. Calling it inadequate, Gambhir described a 3-Test series as ideal. His argument is that if a team loses the first match of a 2-match series, then its chances of making a comeback in the series are almost lost. In such a situation, that team starts competing only to draw the series. Even after losing the first match in a 3-match series, there is still scope for a counterattack and changing the course of the series.