India head coach Gautam Gambhir says the job can leave him mentally drained. He coaches the team in all formats. That means very little rest. But he says he is strong enough to handle the pressure. He spoke after India lost the fifth T20I to New Zealand by seven wickets in Hamilton on Sunday. India still won the series 3-2.
When asked if he has ever felt mentally cooked, Gambhir said yes, honestly. But he said he is strong enough to manage it. He can take the pressure and “take the bullet” for as long as he can. He said he is only human, so there will be times he feels drained. But so far he has been able to handle it.
Gambhir was proud of the team for winning the series. India reached New Zealand just a couple of days before the first match in Christchurch. They had only one day to prepare. Conditions, weather and ground sizes were all different. New Zealand are a strong side with a lot of T20 experience. Most of India’s players were touring New Zealand for the first time. Gambhir said that after one practice session and a 15-hour flight, the team’s performance in the first three games was incredible. He said a lot of credit goes to the players.
Gambhir also said the T20I team will keep playing its fearless brand of cricket. He praised captain Shreyas Iyer for winning the series with an inexperienced bowling attack. He said Shreyas has done a fabulous job. A captain is only as good as how his bowlers and batters perform, especially with a young attack. Shreyas took over as T20I captain from Suryakumar Yadav earlier this year. His first series did not go well. India lost to Ireland and England.
But the team came back to win gold at the Asian Games and series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand. The five-match series against the West Indies ended level. Gambhir said when Shreyas took over, he got a very successful team. That team had won the World Cup and had not lost a T20I series in two years. The team also gave chances to many new players after the World Cup.
…Sends Strong Message on Fear After T20I Series Win Over New Zealand
India head coach Gautam Gambhir had a strong message after his team won the T20I series against New Zealand 3-2. He said fear has no place in his thinking. “There is no word like ‘dar’ in my dictionary and directory,” he said at the post-series press conference. He praised his players for how they handled pressure. He pointed to the first match, which India won after a 15-hour flight and only one practice session. He called that effort commendable.
India won the first three games to take a 3-0 lead. New Zealand then won the last two. Even so, India took the series away from home. Gambhir said the team embraces pressure instead of backing away from it. He was also asked about Rishabh Pant’s injury. He said he had no update yet and would share when he got one. That leaves Pant’s availability unclear for now.
India captain Shreyas Iyer said there were still areas to improve. He pointed to bowling and fielding. He said the team was a bit sloppy. But he called the tour a great learning curve. He said playing in New Zealand, on different grounds and in different situations, taught the team a lot. Iyer also said the first three wins gave India a chance to experiment. In the last two games, the team wanted to test itself more. He said the final match was a good chance to do that. India did not live up to it, but he repeated that it was a big learning experience.
FAQs
Q. What did Gautam Gambhir say about switching between cricket formats?
A. Gambhir admitted that switching formats can be mentally draining but said he was ready to handle the pressure.
Q. What was India’s result in the T20I series against New Zealand?
A. India won the five-match series 3-2.
Q. What did Gambhir say about fear?
A. Gambhir said fear had no place in his thinking.
Q. What did Gambhir praise Shreyas Iyer for?
A. Gabhir praised Iyer for leading India to a series win with an inexperienced bowling attack.
Q. What areas did Shreyas Iyer say India needed to improve?
A. Iyer identified bowling and fielding as areas that needed improvement.
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