Gautam Gambhir: India focused on winning second Test against Sri Lanka, not on WTC
India coach Gautam Gambhir said he was focused on winning the second Test against Sri Lanka, not on the ICC World Test Championship, when speaking to media at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on Saturday, August 22, 2026. Asked about criticism, Gambhir replied: "I am here to win trophies!"
In his prime as an opener, Gautam Gambhir loved the scent of a battle and drew inspiration from it, and he said that combative instinct remains part of his approach as coach. He told reporters that "People in the press-box and commentators know that we are going through transition." The comments came ahead of the second Test of the series.
On team selection and match strategy, Gambhir said: "Even if you score 1,000 runs, you still have to get 20 wickets; that’s how you win matches. So be it three left-arm spinners or an off-spinner or three seamers, we will take a call on what is the best team suited for this surface, it is about the team and the results." He framed selection decisions around the surface and the need to take 20 wickets to win.
Gambhir praised the performances of Devdutt Padikkal and Manav Suthar from the first Test, saying: "It is encouraging to see them step up and perform straight away but then again we should not judge on just one or two performances. There will be ups and downs and we all know cricket is tough." He cautioned against heavy judgment based on limited opportunities.
When asked if there would be a swap between Kuldeep Yadav and Saransh Jain, Gambhir did not confirm any change but described conversations with Kuldeep, saying: "I want Kuldeep to just try and bowl good spells rather than looking desperate to take a wicket." That comment related to expectations for Kuldeep's role.
Gambhir declined to engage on India's prospects in the ICC World Test Championship, reiterating that the immediate priority is the second Test. Addressing player workload and injuries, he said: "We had a discussion; we want our best players to play as much cricket as possible."
Gambhir expressed support for the three-Test series format, arguing it allows a team that loses the first Test to attempt a comeback: "A three-Test series gives a chance to a team that has lost the first Test to make a comeback and win the series." He added, "You cannot do that in a two-Test series as the team that lost the first Test, at best, can only draw the series. Remember, it happened with India once after losing the first Test against Australia, the team could still make a comeback."
The second Test of the series commences on Sunday, and Gambhir indicated that final selection will reflect the surface and the team's objective to win the match.
