India head coach Gautam Gambhir – Artifex.News

Use of pink ball in bad light a proactive move: Gambhir

admin — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:07:00 +0000

India head coach Gautam Gambhir during a press conference on the eve of the India-Afghanistan one-off Test in Mullanpur on June 5, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has backed the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) trial to switch from a red ball to a pink ball during a Test in the case of bad light affecting play. The agreement of both teams before a Test is required for the change to be effected.

The decision was one of the recommendations of the Chief Executives Committee that was approved by the ICC Board at a meeting in Ahmedabad last Sunday. India has so far played five Tests with the pink ball, which is used exclusively for day-night matches.

With making the World Test Championship final being a big incentive in the five-day game, Gambhir said he wouldn’t want his team to be deprived of that opportunity owing to bad light.

“I love that. I’ve always believed that if there’s an opportunity to get a result, you should always have that opportunity,” Gambhir said. “Imagine if you’re playing the last Test before the WTC final and you have the chance to win that Test and qualify, but because of bad light it’s not happening. I know it could be a little difficult for the players. But it’s a proactive move. And hopefully the teams will start taking it in a positive way.”

Published – June 05, 2026 02:26 pm IST

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Sai Sudharsan to bat at No. 3, India to prepare four spinners for Sri Lanka tour: Gambhir

admin — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 06:40:00 +0000

File photo of Sai Sudarshan and Rishabh Pant.
| Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar

India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Friday (June 5, 2026) said Sai Sudharsan has not got a fair run at the No.3 slot and indicated that the left-hander will be preferred over Devdutt Padikkal in the Test format ahead of the one-off game against Afghanistan in Mullanpur.

Gambhir also stated that the team will prepare four spinners for the tour of Sri Lanka in August.

India will take on Afghanistan in a one-off Test starting in Mullanpur on Saturday (June 6, 2026)which is not a part of the current World Test Championship cycle, in which the home side is currently placed sixth.

“Sai Sudharsan has not got a fair chance. He played mostly in England and I believe he needs to get a fair chance,” Gambhir told the reporters in Mullanpur.

“We can (only) pick 11 (players) and Sai isn’t in bad form. He scored 700 runs in IPL. If we judge Sai on basis of 4-5 games we will never be able to build something,” he added.

With Manav Suthar and Harsh Dubey are aiming for one spot as a left-arm spinner, Gambhir said India will need to prepare multiple spin bowling options for the two-Test series in Sri Lanka.

“Manav and Harsh are to a certain extent similar but different also in terms of release points. This match gives us a chance to determine our fourth spinner as we will take four spinners in Sri Lanka,” he said.

“We will need to prepare differently when we go to New Zealand. So, we will pull out a few ODI regulars who play Tests. We understand we need to prepare better for Tests,” Gambhir added.

Addressing Rishabh Pant’s removal as Test vice-captain, Gambhir said the batter has his backing but needs to read the game situation better.

“We don’t want Rishabh Pant to change but international cricket demands players to respect match situations,” Gambhir said.

Published – June 05, 2026 12:10 pm IST

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India vs New Zealand Tests | We want to be a team that can make 400 in a day and bat two days to get a draw: Gambhir

admin — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 22:05:39 +0000

India’s Coach Gautam Gambhir during a press conference ahead of the first cricket test match between India and New Zealand at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Karnataka, on October 14, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Back in 2009, Gautam Gambhir played a stellar knock in the second India-New Zealand Test at Napier. His nearly 11-hour vigil helped India force a draw when following on.

Now the India head coach, Gambhir does not entertain warm tales of nostalgia. “All that is history. It is in the past,” Gambhir said at a press conference in Bengaluru on Monday when reminded of his exploits.

The follow up question, however, got Gambhir’s attention. In this age of attacking cricket, is it possible for a batter to show the immense patience that Gambhir did in that Napier match? The former opener certainly believes so.

“We want to be a team that can make 400 runs in a day, and bat for two days to get a draw. That’s called growth. That’s called adaptability. That’s called Test cricket. If we’re in a situation where we have to bat for two days to draw, we have a lot of individuals who can do that. The first motive is to win the match, and the second or last option is to play for a draw,” Gambhir said.

The first Test between India and New Zealand, which commences here on Wednesday, could see Virat Kohli reach 9,000 Test runs. The former India captain is 53 runs short of the mark.

Kohli has not made a fifty in the three Tests he has played this year, but did chip in with an important 35-ball 47 against Bangladesh in the second Test at Kanpur. Gambhir stated that Kohli is as hungry as ever for the big runs.

“My thoughts about Virat has always been very clear – he is a world-class cricketer. He has performed for such a long period of time, and he is as hungry as when he made his debut.

“I remember opening the batting with him when he made his debut in Sri Lanka (in 2008). Even now, his hunger is always there. I am sure that he will be looking forward to these three Tests and the series in Australia as well,” Gambhir said.

Gambhir explained that this era belongs to bowlers, and that it is time to get over the general obsession with batters.

“This is the time of bowlers. Batsmen only set up matches. It is very important that our batsman-obsessed attitude ends.

“If a batsman makes a thousand runs, there is no guarantee that he will win the Test match. But if a bowler takes 20 wickets, there is a 99 per cent guarantee that he will win the Test match. In any format, bowlers win you the tournament. I hope that in this era, we will talk more about bowlers as compared to batters,” Gambhir said.

Published – October 15, 2024 03:35 am IST

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