India head coach Gautam Gambhir remains confident that his side can still secure a place in the World Test Championship Final despite a challenging period in the longest format. India entered a new era last year following the retirements of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin, forcing the team to adapt to significant changes in its core group. The transition has produced mixed results so far. India began positively by drawing a hard-fought Test series in England before registering a convincing 2-0 series victory over the West Indies. However, their campaign suffered a major setback when they were whitewashed by South Africa at home, a result that severely dented their hopes of reaching the WTC final.
As things stand, India are placed sixth in the World Test Championship standings. They have recorded four wins and suffered four defeats from nine matches, leaving them with a points percentage of 48.15.
Despite India’s recent struggles in the World Test Championship cycle, head coach Gambhir remains optimistic that the team has what it takes to reach the final and compete for the title. He backed the talent and determination within the squad, insisting that a couple of disappointing series do not diminish their belief in achieving their ultimate goal.
“We are always optimistic. Till you have the opportunity to qualify for the World Test Championship Final, you are always optimistic because we know the kind of quality we have and the kind of talent we have. I don’t think so there’s any reason not to believe that we cannot win the World Test Championship. And that is what not only me, but everyone in that dressing room will believe. Yes, we can have one or bad series here and there, but we know the kind of talent we have and how much hunger is there in the dressing room,” Gambhir said while addressing the press conference ahead of the India vs Afghanistan Test match.
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“Consistency will be missed because these are young boys.”
Addressing concerns over India’s ongoing transition in Test cricket, Gambhir dismissed suggestions that the team has been given an extended period to settle after the retirements of several senior players. The head coach pointed out that the rebuilding phase effectively began after the England series and has covered only nine Tests so far, urging patience with a relatively inexperienced squad while expressing confidence that the young group has the talent to revive India’s World Test Championship campaign.
“No, the phase is not at all long because the actual transition happened from England. It’s been only nine Test matches and we were brilliant in England. We won against the West Indies. So when people are talking about transition, the actual transition happened after England. So if after nine Test matches, you feel it’s a long rope, I don’t agree with it. We all know how well this young team played in England and then we won against the West Indies. Yes, loss in the two matches against South Africa, it hurts but then that’s what is going to happen with the transition. The consistency will be missed because these are young boys. The majority of these boys have played less than 30 Test matches, which is still not a lot of experience So for me, I don’t look for excuses. I don’t see that because we haven’t got a full strength team. I think we have got enough talent to turn it around and are very hopeful we will give us the best chance to win the World Test Championships,” said Gambhir.
