India head coach Gautam Gambhir backed his side’s rebuilding process after England handed the visitors a crushing 125-run defeat in the third T20I at Trent Bridge, insisting that inconsistent results are inevitable during a transition phase.
The defeat left India trailing 0-2 in the five-match series after the opening game was washed out, with from clinching the series.
Despite India being bowled out for just 76 while chasing 202, Gambhir urged patience with a young squad that has undergone significant changes since last year’s T20 World Cup triumph.
“If you see, there have been changes to this T20 team. When you go to reset your T20 side, then many times you get such performances. If you see the playing XI of the World Cup final and the one today, there are a lot of changes. Whether you take the captain, the opening batters… Hardik Pandya is not there, Jasprit Bumrah is not there. So when you go to reset again, it takes a little time,” Gambhir said in the post-match press conference.
The former India opener refused to judge the side based on one disappointing performance.
“I think we just haven’t played well. You don’t become a bad team after four games. Sometimes the opposition plays better than you. Sometimes you don’t assess the conditions better or read the game well enough. Reading the game is equally important. We haven’t done that since Ireland,” he said.
Gambhir stresses patience as India’s young T20 squad adapts
Highlighting the inexperience within the squad, Gambhir said the players needed time to develop at the international level.
“A 15-year-old player is opening the batting, Prince Yadav has played just his second T20I, and Harshit Rana is only just coming back from injury. It’s easy to judge by the results, and no doubt results matter in international cricket, but being practical is equally important. When you throw young players into the deep end against a quality side like England, they need time to grow and develop. After a reset, things don’t fall into place overnight,” he added.
Gambhir also felt India failed to adapt to the playing conditions, particularly the impact of the breeze and the uneven boundary dimensions, while stressing that the experienced middle order should have managed the innings better.
“Sometimes it’s the small things. The breeze can play a huge part, and when one side of the ground has much bigger dimensions than the other, that also matters. These are the little details that can make a big difference in T20 cricket. When everyone in the batting line-up is playing high-risk cricket, the experienced middle order needs to adapt and play according to the situation,” he said.
Drawing comparisons with India’s successful T20 World Cup campaign, Gambhir said the current side lacked the stabilising influence that the middle order had provided during that tournament.
“During the World Cup, our top three played aggressively, but our No. 4 and No. 5 were still able to build the innings and anchor it when required. That’s something we’ve lacked today. Again, it comes down to reading the match situation better,” he said.
While acknowledging India’s struggles against England’s pace attack, Gambhir maintained that the team’s aggressive batting philosophy would not change.
“I don’t know what England are going to try and do, but we have to keep improving against pace. At the same time, this was probably one of those off days. In the previous two T20Is, we scored around 190 in both games. When you play high-risk cricket, these things can happen,” he said.
Gambhir on Sooryavanshi over Samson: ‘Everyone has to earn their place’
Asked about Sanju Samson’s absence from the playing XI, Gambhir said selections would continue to be based on form and the team’s requirements.
“As far as clarity is concerned, we are absolutely clear about what Sanju has done for India. His performances during the World Cup were phenomenal. But sometimes you also have to look at a player’s current form. There is no hard and fast rule that he cannot make a comeback in this series,” Gambhir said.
He reiterated that merit would remain the only criterion for selection.
“Ultimately, international cricket is about results. We will always pick the combination that we believe gives us the best chance of winning. I’ve always believed that everyone has to earn their place in the team,” he added.