The upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka stands of utmost importance for the Shubman Gill-led Indian cricket team. India’s performance in recent times hasn’t been great.
In the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, the team drew against England and defeated West Indies; however, a loss to South Africa at home significantly dented their chances. India are currently placed fifth in the table, with a PCT of 48.15.
For India to stay in the hunt for the final berth, a win against Sri Lanka is a must. India are also set to play New Zealand later this year, but a lot will rest on how they turn up in Sri Lanka.
There is significant pressure on captain Shubman Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir after a series of underwhelming results. Meanwhile, Gill is not paying much heed to the outside noise and has his sights set on the WTC berth.
“I am comfortable in my role as captain now. Our goal is to stay in contention for a berth in the World Test Championship final. We need to win six or seven Tests for that. So we want to make a beginning here,” Gill said on the eve of the first Test.
India’s best chance of making the WTC final will be wins in the remaining four Tests, two each against Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
Meanwhile, the first Test against Sri Lanka will also mark a significant landmark in Indian Test history, with the Test being India’s 600th since they made their debut in 1932, and Gill is proud to lead the team on the historic day.
“Leading my country in the 600th Test is an honour and doing so on Independence Day is an even bigger honour,” he said.
‘No Communication Gap Between BCCI And CoE’ – Shubman Gill
India suffered significant setbacks ahead of the series as several big players, including Jasprit Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan, were ruled out due to injuries, raising speculations about a communication gap between the BCCI and the Centre of Excellence; however, Gill refuted the claims.
“There is a constant communication with them. Unfortunately, Sai Sudharsan did not improve as much as we liked as we can’t take risks in Tests. But we are confident of our 15,” Gill said.