If you enjoyed Kanpur, have to endure Bengaluru 46-all out: Gautam Gambhir

India coach Gautam Gambhir has defended his side’s approach after their loss to New Zealand in the Bengaluru Test. The Indian team was bundled out for 46 runs in the first innings on day one, which proved to be the turning point in the game. Despite the hosts putting up a solid performance with the bat in the second innings, New Zealand went on to win the match by 8 wickets.
The loss came days after India played aggressive cricket in the Kanpur Test against Bangladesh where they were able to finish the game in the last 2 days after rain played a part in the first three. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Gambhir talked about the loss and said that they would have to accept defeats like in Bengaluru moving forward. The India coach pointed out how his side was looking to win the match despite 46 runs in the first innings.
Gambhir said that India had no intention to play out the last 2 days and look for a draw as they wanted the win. The India coach said that this is the brand of cricket they want to play going forward.
“That’s why we call cricket, or rather sports in general, a great leveler. If you enjoy days like we had in Kanpur, then you also have to accept days like the one we had in Bengaluru. But the good thing was that even after being bowled out for 46, we were still looking to win the Test match. That was important, and that’s the kind of cricket we want to play.”
“I had said earlier that our first option is always to win, and the second option is a draw. If you look at the second innings as well, there was no intention of just playing for two and a half days. We were thinking about how we could win the game. In fact, if you ask me, we were probably 100 runs away from making the match. So, I don’t think many teams would think that way after being bowled out for 46, when they still had to bat for more than two and a half days. But that’s the quality of cricket we want to play going forward,” said Gambhir.
There are a few tough calls that India would have to make for the Pune Test, with Shubman Gill, Sarfaraz Khan and KL Rahul in a shootout for a spot in the playing XI. Gambhir said that picking a playing XI for India anywhere in the country is a ‘headache’ due to the talent available at their disposal.
“Look, selecting the playing XI for any Test match in India is a headache because of the amount of talent we have, whether it’s in domestic or international cricket. So, it’s not just that it’s challenging here; it’s a good challenge, in fact. When you have good talent coming in and there’s competition for spots, it’s always a good thing. This means Indian cricket has a strong foundation and is at a good level. I don’t think the challenge will be any different in Pune compared to other places; it’s always difficult everywhere,” said Gambhir.
India and New Zealand will square off in the Pune Test from October 24, Thursday.