NEW DELHI: Head coach Gautam Gambhir stated on Monday that India’s players will not be sidetracked by the competition to advance to the World Test Championship (WTC) final and that their only goal for the next two months is to win the five-match series in Australia.
India was leading the race to the WTC final the next year until a 0-3 thumping against New Zealand earlier this month allowed Australia overtook them.
To secure a place in the final, captain Rohit Sharma must now lead his team to a 4-0 victory in Australia, albeit the outcome of other series may make their path simpler.
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“We are not looking at what’s going to happen in the World Test Championship, whether we are going to qualify (for the final),” Gambhir said in a pre-departure press conference.
“Every series is important, as simple as that, when you are playing for your country …
“For us, it’s two good teams playing each other and we are absolutely keen to go out there and perform and try and win the series.”
India have won both of their previous tours to Australia, but as they attempt to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy again, their batting appears to be lacking in strength.
The captain is expected to miss the first Test in Perth starting on November 22 in order to attend the birth of his second child, while stalwart Virat Kohli has been struggling with form.
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The burden for pace leader Jasprit Bumrah, who will skipper India in Rohit’s absence, will also rise due to the absence of the injured Mohammed Shami.
Yashasvi Jaiswal would also require a new opening partner in Rohit’s absence, and Gambhir felt content with his backup alternatives despite the fact that both KL Rahul and Abhimanyu Easwaran performed poorly in two unofficial Test matches against Australia A.
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Rahul’s 53-Test experience and his ability to bat almost anywhere in the order could help him win the match over the uncapped Easwaran, according to Gambhir.
“There are times when you go with the experienced players,” Gambhir said of Rahul.
“That is the quality of the man, that he can bat at the top of the order, he can bat at number three and he can actually bat at number six as well,” he added.