New Delhi, 24 September (H.S.): India head coach Gautam Gambhir has emphasised that a strong Test cricket setup is essential for the overall health of the country’s cricketing structure, asserting that red-ball cricket will remain a priority for the national team.

In an interaction with JioStar ahead of India’s new domestic season, Gambhir reflected on his tenure with the national side so far, the lessons he has drawn from Test cricket and his experience of working with different captains across formats.

Reflecting on his tenure, Gambhir said the past two years had been a period of considerable highs and lows.

“Two years have not just flown by in the blink of an eye. There have been ups and downs for me as well. I have had my failures and successes. But I have always believed that when you take on a responsibility of this magnitude, there will inevitably be highs and lows. Whether it is Test cricket, ODI cricket or T20 cricket, I have experienced success, which I will always cherish, but I have also faced failures, and I completely accept those as well,” he said.

Test Cricket in Transition

Addressing the changes in Test cricket and the team’s recent results, Gambhir said India had played good Test cricket since the England tour, but the side was still going through a transitional phase.

He acknowledged that replacing experienced players such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin would not be easy, given their immense experience, talent and contribution to Indian red-ball cricket.

“We have played some very good Test cricket since England. I am not saying that we are completely ready yet, because Test cricket has undergone a lot of change. Replacing players like Rohit, Virat and Ashwin, in particular, is extremely difficult. The amount of talent and experience these players possessed and what they contributed to Indian cricket in red-ball cricket cannot be easily replaced. It will take time,” Gambhir said.

Gambhir added that Indian cricket could remain a dominant force in Test cricket for many years if the right players continued to receive consistent backing.

“I firmly believe that if we continue to support the right players, Indian cricket can remain a dominant force in red-ball cricket for a long time. When you bring young players into Test cricket, you look at their age and the number of matches they have played and try to make them understand how important Test cricket is. I am a very strong believer that a country with strong Test cricket is a strong cricketing nation. Therefore, red-ball cricket remains our priority,” he said.

Experience of Working with Four Captains

Gambhir also spoke about his experience of working with Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer in different formats. He said all four captains consistently placed the team’s interests ahead of their own.

“I have worked with four captains — Rohit, Surya, now Shubman and Shreyas. With every captain I have worked with, their first thought has always been the team. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with four people who have always put the team ahead of themselves,” he said.

He added that while captains may have different approaches and perspectives on the game, their commitment to the team makes the job of the support staff considerably easier.

Praise for Shubman Gill’s Captaincy

Gambhir also praised Test captain Shubman Gill, saying the young batter had handled the challenge of leading India in the five-Test series in England impressively.

“Shubman is young. If you are given the captaincy in a five-Test series in England and are thrown straight into the deep end, you either swim out very well or you sink. But the way Shubman has handled Test cricket has been outstanding. I believe we will see the best of Shubman in the years to come,” he said.

On His Relationship with Rohit Sharma

Gambhir also spoke about his relationship with Rohit Sharma, saying it went beyond the conventional captain-coach dynamic. He noted that the two had known each other for a long time and understood each other better because they had played alongside one another.

“My relationship with Rohit was not just that of a captain and coach. When Rohit came into the team, I was a senior player. So our relationship goes back to that time. Rohit has known me since then, and I have known him as well. When you have played together, things become much easier. He knows my thinking and I know his thinking,” Gambhir said.

He added, “Tomorrow, my thinking may be different from the captain’s, but ultimately, if the decision is in the team’s best interests, nothing could be better than that. That has been my experience with all four captains — everyone’s focus has remained on Indian cricket.”

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar