Key Points

India's head coach Gautam Gambhir praised his team's fighting spirit after a hard-fought 2-2 Test series draw against England. He emphasized building a strong team culture that will help India dominate Test cricket for years to come. The thrilling final Test saw Mohammed Siraj bowl a match-winning yorker to secure a dramatic 6-run victory. Gambhir and the coaching staff celebrated passionately as India completed a remarkable comeback in the series.

Key Points: Gambhir Backs India to Dominate Test Cricket After England Series Draw

  • Gambhir highlights team culture as key to India's Test success
  • India fought back for a dramatic 6-run win in the 5th Test
  • Siraj's fiery yorker sealed the series-levelling victory
  • Gambhir and coaching staff celebrated passionately after the win
3 min read

Head coach Gambhir backs India to dominate Test Cricket for very long time

Gautam Gambhir urges India to build a winning culture after thrilling 2-2 Test series draw against England, aiming for long-term Test dominance.

"We will keep improving our areas, because if we keep doing that, we can dominate Test Cricket for a very long time. – Gautam Gambhir"

London, August 5

India head coach Gautam Gambhir reminded his players of the significance of "keep getting better, working hard and improving areas", which will allow them to "dominate" Test cricket for a "very long time".

India fought with grit, valiance, and a never-surrender attitude to leave England with a 2-2 series draw in the inaugural edition of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. In the fifth Test at The Oval, India looked down and out on the third day, but kept pushing to rebuke the odds and predictions with a narrow six-run victory.

While addressing the players in the dressing room, Gambhir emphasised creating a culture that everyone wants to be a part of, irrespective of who stays or leaves and said in a video posted by the BCCI, "The way this series has panned out 2-2 is an outstanding result. Congratulations to everyone."

"So remember, we will keep getting better, we will keep working hard, we will keep improving our areas, because if we keep doing that, we can dominate Test Cricket for a very long time. People will come and go, but the culture of the dressing room should always be like that, people want to be part of this culture, that is what we want to create," Gambhir concluded.

On the final day of the fifth Test of the five-match series, the contest went right down to the wire. In the battle of nerves and steel, the equation was as clear as daylight. England stood 35 runs short of gunning down the 374-run target, while India had to hunt four wickets to end the series at 2-2 in London.

With Chris Woakes, fighting with a broken shoulder at the other end, Gus Atkinson brought the equation down to seven required with one wicket in hand. Gambhir peeked out of the window and sent a couple of instructions to his troops before the decisive moment.

Gambhir and the rest of the coaching staff watched in anticipation as Mohammed Siraj, who was breathing fire by that point, charged at Atkinson. Siraj's searing yorker found a way past Atkinson's wild swipe and dislodged the off stump from its position to seal a six-run and series levelling triumph for India.

Siraj, on cloud nine, sprinted animatedly and pulled his usual 'Sui' celebration and was soon swamped by his compatriots. Gambhir embraced assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate with a passionate hug, and the rest of the crew swiftly joined the celebrations.

Bowling coach Morne Morkel and Gambhir warmly embraced each other. The towering South African lifted Gambhir in the air, and the Indian roared in delight. He went to the field, hugged his captain, Shubman Gill and the rest of the players as the entire team took a victory lap at The Oval.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Shreya B
While I appreciate Gambhir's vision, we shouldn't get carried away. Our middle order still looks shaky against quality pace bowling. Need to find long-term solutions for No. 3 and 5 positions before talking about domination.
A
Aman W
Siraj's performance was 🔥! That last yorker gave me goosebumps. Our fast bowling unit is world class now - something we could only dream of 10 years back. Gambhir's right, if we keep this culture going, no one can stop us!
P
Priyanka N
The real test will be maintaining this intensity in home season. We've seen teams perform abroad and then relax at home. Hope Gambhir keeps pushing them to improve every single match.
V
Varun X
That dressing room speech gave me chills! Gambhir's passion is infectious. After years of foreign coaches, having an Indian with this vision is exactly what we needed. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
N
Nikhil C
Let's not forget the contribution of support staff like Morkel. Our fast bowlers have improved leaps and bounds under him. Team effort all around!

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50