'Don't be desperate for wickets': Gautam Gambhir's message to Kuldeep Yadav
India returned to winning ways in the World Test Championship after a 165-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test at the Galle International Stadium on Wednesday. Four days after that win, the visitors will be back in action in Colombo for the second and final Test. India will be pleased with most aspects of their performance in Galle, but Kuldeep's form remains one of the major talking…
India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has dismissed claims that the team is struggling in Test cricket, stating that the recent results should be viewed as part of a transition period following the retirement of several senior players. India currently leads the two-Test series against Sri Lanka 1-0 after a 165-run victory in Galle.
The series has highlighted the challenges faced by a team in transition as key players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin have retired from Test cricket. India has won five out of their 10 Tests in the current World Test Championship cycle and is currently ranked fifth, behind Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and Bangladesh.
Despite these results, Gambhir maintains that India is not declining and that rankings are not a significant concern. He emphasizes that his primary focus is on winning tournaments rather than rankings, highlighting India's recent successes in the 2025 Champions Trophy and the 2026 T20 World Cup. Gambhir also addressed criticism over the team's Test performances, suggesting that team selection for the upcoming second Test in Colombo will be based on selecting the best bowling attack capable of achieving 20 wickets.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- 'Rankings don't matter': Under fire Gambhir says India 'not struggling' in Tests timesofindia.indiatimes.com
