Gautam Gambhir has told reporters that India have not given up on a place in the World Test Championship final, even though qualification remains uncertain and recent results have been uneven.
India are due to play a one-off Test against Afghanistan beginning on June 6. The match carries no WTC points, since Afghanistan are not among the nine teams eligible for the competition. India will therefore need good results in their remaining red-ball fixtures that do count.
Optimism in the dressing room
At the pre-match press conference, the head coach said the team stays hopeful for as long as qualification is possible, because of the quality in the group. He added that the dressing room believes it can recover from the occasional setback, and that the squad has enough talent to turn things around even during a transitional period following changes in leadership and personnel.
Context of the cycle
India finished third in the previous WTC cycle, with nine wins, eight defeats and two draws. In the current cycle Shubman Gill has taken over as captain after the retirements of senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
The team performed strongly in England and won a series against the West Indies, but a home defeat by South Africa exposed some inconsistency. Gambhir accepted the disappointment and asked for patience, noting that many players in the squad are still relatively inexperienced.
He also explained that the transition began after the England series, and he rejected the idea that the group needs extra time to settle, saying it has already shown enough ability. India, he said, are hopeful of giving themselves the best possible chance of winning the title.
