Emphasizing the importance of maintaining a winning style, Gambhir said, “The winning style is the best style.”
He stressed the importance of India’s senior players, especially the spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who are expected to play a crucial role in India’s strategy. “We are fortunate that Ashwin and Jadeja are fit and fit,” Gambhir said, acknowledging their ability to dominate on spin-friendly pitches.
With India having a wealth of talented players, Gambhir hinted that youngsters like Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel may have to wait for their chance, while experienced players KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant will continue to play a key role in the middle order.
Gambhir, who has had connections with many of the team’s senior players since his playing days, spoke about the strong relationships he has built with the players and said he hopes to continue this as a coach.
“I have played cricket with many players from this team and my relationship with all the senior players is good,” Gambhir said.
Despite their superior position, Gambhir made it clear that India will not underestimate Bangladesh. “We respect Bangladesh but we will play like a champion team,” he said, emphasizing the need for India to assert their strengths throughout the series.
Looking back at the evolution of Indian cricket, Gambhir noted the shift from a historically batting-dominated approach to a more balanced focus on bowling. He said bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ashwin and Jadeja have made India a formidable bowling unit.
“India used to be a batting-obsessed nation, but Bhumara, Ashwin, Shami and Jadeja turned it into a bowlers’ game,” Gambhir added.
The coach heaped special praise on Bumrah, calling him “the best fast bowler in the world” and acknowledging his ability to change the course of a game at any stage.
On rumours that the players prioritise the IPL over representing their country, Gambhir rubbished such notions and asserted that the team is currently focused on representing India.
He also expressed confidence in India’s batting, especially against spin, and highlighted the team’s ability to handle any challenge from the opposition bowlers.
With Gambhir focusing on maintaining the champion’s mentality and maximising the strengths of his squad, Team India will be expected to come into the Test series with determination and focus to continue their winning streak against Bangladesh.
