India head coach Gautam Gambhir has already led the team to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy and Asia Cup titles, but he has not enjoyed similar success in red-ball cricket.
Gambhir’s tenure as India’s Test captain started with a home defeat against New Zealand, which was followed by a humbling at the hands of Australia Down Under. Speaking to former India cricketer Aakash Chopra in a candid interview, Gambhir opened up on the dark episodes of his career, with the New Zealand setback looming largest in his memory. The Blackcaps had famously swept India 3-0 in the assignment.
In the interview, aired by Star Sports during the lunch break on Day 2 of the second Test between India and the West Indies, Gambhir stated that he could never forget the home series defeat against the Black Caps.
The conversation began with Chopra asking Gambhir about the importance of home dominance in Tests. The India head coach asserted that a team must be able to dominate not just at home, but away too, if it genuinely aspires to become World Test Championship winners.
“It doesn’t matter if you want to be the best team in the world. I don’t think only home dominance is important. I think dominating away from home is equally important. And this young team has shown that sense. England probably was the toughest test for us. A young team, inexperienced team going to England and performing the way they performed.
“More importantly, not the results, the way they fought every day was to me very, very important. So, I’m not a big believer that we need to have home dominance to be qualifying for the World Test Championship final. Because if you’re only dominating at home, then you don’t deserve to be the World Test Championship winners,” he said.
Gautam Gambhir On New Zealand Setback
When asked about the heartbreaking home series loss against New Zealand, Gambhir stated that it is an episode of his coaching career that he will carry with him for the rest of his life. In fact, Gambhir believes in reminding his team of that loss, stressing why no opponent, regardless of the conditions, should ever be taken for granted.
“I don’t think I can ever forget that in my coaching career. And I should not even forget that. And I’ve told this to the boys as well.
“It is important to look forward. But sometimes it is also important to remember the past as well. Because if you forget the past, then you can start taking things for granted. You should never look to take anything for granted. Because New Zealand, I felt that everyone thought that we could roll them over. But that’s the reality. And that’s the sport,” he said.
Gambhir admits that the pain of that series defeat still remains.
“And for me, I think in that dressing room, I think we need to keep reminding the boys that New Zealand happened. And that’s one of the reasons why we don’t want to give an inch to the opposition,” he concluded.