Indian cricket head coach Gautam Gambhir outlines strategic player management, prioritising Test cricket, and crucial preparations for the 2027 World Cup, including workload management for key players like Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah.
IMAGE: Test captain Shubman Gill and wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul are likely to be rested ahead of the upcoming matches in the World Test Championship cycle. Photograph: ANI Photo
Key Points
- India’s top batters may receive breaks from white-ball cricket to prioritise Test preparations for the New Zealand tour.
- Head coach Gautam Gambhir stresses the paramount importance of Test cricket for a strong cricketing nation.
- The future of cricket will see fewer all-format players due to the need for player rotation and workload management.
- Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are deemed crucial for India’s 2027 World Cup campaign in South Africa.
- Shubman Gill’s captaincy is praised, with Gambhir noting his growth and the support from senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Some of India’s top batters could be given a break from white-ball cricket to focus on Test preparations during the upcoming multi-format tour of New Zealand, indicated head coach Gautam Gambhir as he highlighted the challenge of switching from 50-over to five-day cricket in a short span of time.
Gambhir did not explicitly mention New Zealand but the schedule of the lengthy tour is such that India will be lining up for the first Test in Wellington from November 19, which is just three days after the fifth and final ODI against the Black Caps in Tauranga.
The marathon tour will feature 12 games across formats.
“Often for Test match preparation, you will have to give your batters a break as well from white-ball to move into Test cricket, because coming from T20 to one-day cricket is easy,” Gambhir said while speaking to ‘JioStar’ ahead of India’s home season.
With only two days of training before the two-Test series, some of the top ODI players like skipper Shubman Gill, wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Reddy might skip a few ODIs to get ready for the WTC games.
The Challenge of All-Format Players
Gambhir also felt that going forward, there would be very few all-format players left in the game despite the coaches and selectors’ desire to have such talent.
“Look, ideally for any coach it is very important that as many players play all three formats, the better it is, because continuity in international cricket is very important,” he said.
“So, as much as the coach wants, as much as the selectors want, whatever they do, you will have very few three-format players in the coming times, because you will have to keep rotating your players, whether they are spin bowlers or fast bowlers.”
Gambhir underlined the importance of Test match results, saying they will always be more valued in world cricket.
“When you are getting the new guys in, obviously (you are) trying to make them feel how important Test cricket is, because I’m a very big believer that a strong Test cricketing nation is a strong cricketing nation.
“It’s not the other way around. I’ve never believed that a strong T20 cricket nation is a strong cricketing nation. So red-ball still remains our priority,” the coach asserted.
India’s 2027 World Cup Strategy
With the upcoming West Indies ODIs at home, India will start its preparations for next year’s 2027 World Cup in South Africa without Jasprit Bumrah (on Asian Games duty) and Hardik Pandya (still not fit to bowl 10 overs in ODIs).
Gambhir said both seniors are very important in India’s ODI scheme of things going into 2027.
“Whether it’s Hardik, whether it’s Jasprit Bumrah, both of them are going to be extremely important for us in South Africa. Because the way if you talk about Jassi or if you talk about Hardik, very few teams have a player like that who can bowl 10 overs for you, plus bat at number six or seven, plus with that impact.
“…especially for Hardik, because he needs game time as well. Because after the IPL he hasn’t played a lot of cricket. So if the focus is only that he has to play the 50-over format, then he might be short of cricket.
“…game time going into the World Cup is going to be extremely, extremely important. You cannot go there half-cooked. So you should have enough game time, your rhythm should be so good, because going to the World Cup, there are no ifs and buts,” Gambhir explained.
He gave a thumbs up to skipper Shubman Gill, who is getting better with time and also felt that the young leader is fortunate to have Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli still around to guide him in ODIs.
“In ODIs, he (Gill) is very fortunate that he has got the likes of Rohit and Virat to help him on and off the field. Leaving out anyone in Indian cricket from the playing eleven is always going to be tough.
“But when you have to do that as a young captain, it is probably the toughest job for any coach and captain to do it. So far, he has done that. He has actually ticked all the boxes.”
“I feel that he has done all the right things…he has had a bit of a tough time in One Day cricket. But I am sure, I think things will turn around because he has done all the right things,” Gambhir said referring to Gill losing ODI series against England, Australia (away), and New Zealand (home).
Gambhir’s Coaching Tenure and Philosophy
In his two years as head coach, Gambhir guided India to the ICC Champions Trophy and T20 World Cup titles but also lost Test series against New Zealand and South Africa at home.
He admitted that the ride so far has been fairly topsy-turvy.
“I think I’ve had my own share of ups and downs, I think I’ve had my own failures and success. But again, I’ve always believed that when you take up that kind of a responsibility, there will always be ups and downs.”
