NEW DELHI: The forthcoming series against Bangladesh will mark the first Test assignment for Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir.
After Sri Lankan spinners exposed Indian batting to win the series 2-0, Gambhir’s debut ODI assignment did not conclude on a positive note.
Gambhir, his assistant coach, and the Indian squad are in Chennai for a training camp prior to the two Test matches against Bangladesh. Morne Morkel, the bowling coach, also started his tenure with India after initially connecting with the team.
“The staff is new, but I know both Gautam Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar. I have played quite a bit of cricket against [bowling coach] Morne Morkel; we’ve played some tough cricket against each other. I’ve also played, maybe a couple of games, against [assistant coach] Ryan [ten Doeschate], but the two of us haven’t spoken as much before. From what I experienced with him in Sri Lanka, I think he has a sensible and [an] understanding personality, given the way he quickly started to understand things about the team,” Rohit said during the pre-series press conference against Bangladesh in Chennai, as per ANI.
“As for Gambhir and Nayar, like I said, I know them well. Sri Lanka was the first series [with them in charge], and now they are going to play their second series with the team. Everyone has their own style. Rahul [Dravid] bhai, Vikram Rathour, [and] Paras Mhambrey – they had a different way of running the team, [while] these guys will have a different style,” he added.
“So it’s important for you to adjust. So far, there have been no problems or issues as a player. Like I said, if there is understanding between both [coaches and players], that’s the most important thing. And we have a good understanding,” Rohit noted.
Following the conclusion of India’s home Test matches against Bangladesh and New Zealand, all eyes will be on Australia for the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
The two Test matches against Bangladesh, in Rohit’s opinion, will not prepare them for the difficulties that would arise in the foreign environment.
“So there is no dress rehearsal kind of stuff happening here. Every game that we play is important, and every game becomes important because of what is at stake. [In the] World Test Championship, still, the table is quite wide open, and you want to win every game. So it doesn’t matter where we play in two months’ time. We want to win here. We want to win this Test match,” Rohit said.
“We assembled here on the 12th, and we’ve had a good time spending hours on the field, [and] getting everything together. So yeah, it is tough. But see, now people are so experienced, they manage themselves pretty well. And guys who have not played a lot of Test cricket obviously went on to play the Duleep Trophy, which was good,” he added.
After Sri Lankan spinners exposed Indian batting to win the series 2-0, Gambhir’s debut ODI assignment did not conclude on a positive note.
Gambhir, his assistant coach, and the Indian squad are in Chennai for a training camp prior to the two Test matches against Bangladesh. Morne Morkel, the bowling coach, also started his tenure with India after initially connecting with the team.
“The staff is new, but I know both Gautam Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar. I have played quite a bit of cricket against [bowling coach] Morne Morkel; we’ve played some tough cricket against each other. I’ve also played, maybe a couple of games, against [assistant coach] Ryan [ten Doeschate], but the two of us haven’t spoken as much before. From what I experienced with him in Sri Lanka, I think he has a sensible and [an] understanding personality, given the way he quickly started to understand things about the team,” Rohit said during the pre-series press conference against Bangladesh in Chennai, as per ANI.
“As for Gambhir and Nayar, like I said, I know them well. Sri Lanka was the first series [with them in charge], and now they are going to play their second series with the team. Everyone has their own style. Rahul [Dravid] bhai, Vikram Rathour, [and] Paras Mhambrey – they had a different way of running the team, [while] these guys will have a different style,” he added.
“So it’s important for you to adjust. So far, there have been no problems or issues as a player. Like I said, if there is understanding between both [coaches and players], that’s the most important thing. And we have a good understanding,” Rohit noted.
Following the conclusion of India’s home Test matches against Bangladesh and New Zealand, all eyes will be on Australia for the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
The two Test matches against Bangladesh, in Rohit’s opinion, will not prepare them for the difficulties that would arise in the foreign environment.
“So there is no dress rehearsal kind of stuff happening here. Every game that we play is important, and every game becomes important because of what is at stake. [In the] World Test Championship, still, the table is quite wide open, and you want to win every game. So it doesn’t matter where we play in two months’ time. We want to win here. We want to win this Test match,” Rohit said.
“We assembled here on the 12th, and we’ve had a good time spending hours on the field, [and] getting everything together. So yeah, it is tough. But see, now people are so experienced, they manage themselves pretty well. And guys who have not played a lot of Test cricket obviously went on to play the Duleep Trophy, which was good,” he added.
