India head coach Gautam Gambhir responded to criticism after losing a 3-0 series in New Zealand at home, saying that he knew all along what were the challenges of being India's coach and doesn't feel any "heat," "completely honest" about his approach.
Gambhir received criticism after the team had suffered its first home Test series defeat since 2012 and the first 3-0 whitewash at home in the 21st century. Ahead of the five-match Test series against Australia, Gambhir said that the team was outplayed by New Zealand and did not play to its best at a pre-departure press conference. He still seems to be optimistic that the series result will not affect India's approach for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
"What difference does it make in my life and for anyone's life? When I took up this job, I always thought that it's going to be a highly difficult job and a highly prestigious job as well.". Frankly, I don't feel the heat that much because my job is to be absolutely candid, and there are people sitting in that dressing room that are incredibly tough who have done some great things for the country and will continue to do some great things for the country. So it's an absolute honor to be coaching them and coaching India," he said.
Gambhir told his team that losing the series is really important to learn from and move towards the challenge of playing against the defending World Test Champions Australia.
Obviuosly, the learnings is that we accept that we were outplayed. I am not going to sit here and defend. I think we were outplayed in all three departments. They were more professional, and we accept that. And I think the criticism that we are receiving, I think we take it with both hands. And we keep moving forward, keeping getting better every day.
Three Test matches before we had an awesome Test match in Kanpur as well. I know that we haven't played our best cricket, but it doesn't change anything. Australia is a new series, Australia is a new opponent. And we go out there thinking that we're going to definitely try and win the series, too.
India has to win the series by 4-0 or 4-1 to qualify for the WTC final for the third successive time. Unless that happens, India is banking on other games turning the right way. Gambhir has decided to keep his focus strictly on the series, rather than the qualification permutations and combinations involving five teams clamouring for the top two berths.
Honestly, we are not even looking what's going to happen in the World Test Championship, whether we are going to qualify. Every series is important, as simple as it gets. When you play for your country, every series is important, irrespective of what has happened in the past, he added.
"Obviously, it's two good teams playing against each other, and we are absolutely keen out there to go there and perform and try to win the series."
Perth will host the first Test on November 22, while the second Test in Adelaide will start on December 6, followed by the third Test from Brisbane on December 14, followed again by the Boxing Day Test from Melbourne on December 26, and finally the last one from January 3, 2025, in Sydney. This is going to be India and Australia's first five-match Test series.
Read also| Ponting Supports Bumrah to Lead India in Rohit's Absence for Perth Test Against Australia
